Analytical device with lancet and test element

An analytical device, comprising:

• a body,
• a lancet needle having at least a tip embedded in the body to maintain the sterility of the tip before use,
• the body including material that is pierceable by the lancing tip to form a temporary channel that allows movement of the tip to a extended position where the tip extends from the body to cut tissue,
• the tip of the lancet being moveable relative to the body between the extended position and a retracted position where the tip is located inside the material, and
• a test element joined to the body for testing of analyte in body fluid from the cut.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an analytical device comprising
• a body,
• a lancet needle having at least a tip embedded in the body to maintain the sterility of the tip before use,
• the body including material that is pierceable by the lancing tip to form a temporary channel that allows movement of the tip to a extended position where the tip extends from the body to cut tissue,
• the tip of the lancet being moveable relative to the body between the extended position and a retracted position where the tip is located inside the material, and
• a test element joined to the body for testing of analyte in body fluid from the cut;
• a body fluid measuring instrument having a lancet drive mechanism coupled to the analytical device, the drive mechanism being configured to move the tip of the lancet needle between the extended position and the retracted position;
• and
• the analytical device being configured to be removed from the instrument after use and replaced with a new one.

An analytical device, comprising:

• a body,
• a lancet needle having at least a tip embedded in the body to maintain the sterility of the tip before use,
• the body including material that is pierceable by the lancing tip to form a temporary channel that allows movement of the tip to a extended position where the tip extends from the body to cut tissue,
• the tip of the lancet being moveable relative to the body between the extended position and a retracted position where the tip is located inside the material,
• a test element joined to the body for testing of analyte in body fluid from the cut;
• wherein the analytical device has a capillary gap to transport the body fluid to the test element;
• and
• wherein the capillary gap is defined at least in part by the body.

An analytical device, comprising:

• a body,
• a lancet needle having at least a tip embedded in the body to maintain the sterility of the tip before use,
• the body including material that is pierceable by the lancing tip to form a temporary channel that allows movement of the tip to a extended position where the tip extends from the body to cut tissue,
• the tip of the lancet being moveable relative to the body between the extended position and a retracted position where the tip is located inside the material,
• a test element joined to the body for testing body fluid from the cut;
• a plurality of the analytical devices incorporated into a magazine;
• and
• wherein the material minimizes contamination between used and unused ones of the analytical devices in the magazine.

An analytical device, comprising:

• a body;
• a lancet needle having at least a tip embedded in the body to maintain the sterility of the tip before use;
• the body including material that is pierceable by the lancing tip to form a temporary channel that allows movement of the tip to a extended position where the tip extends from the body to cut tissue;
• the tip of the lancet being moveable relative to the body between the extended position and a retracted position where the tip is located inside the material;
• a test element joined to the body for testing of analyte in body fluid from the cut;
• and
• wherein the material includes an elastic material to reseal the channel when the tip returns to the retracted position after the tissue is cut to encapsulate the tip after use.

An analytical device, comprising:

• a body;
• a lancet having at least lancet tip embedded in the body to maintain sterility of the lancet tip prior to use, the lancet tip being configured to pierce the body when extending from the body during lancing an incision;
• wherein the body is configured to hygienically enclose the lancet tip when the lancet tip retracts inside the body after lancing;
• and
• a test element fixed to the body for analyzing analyte in body fluid from the incision.

An analytical device, comprising:

• a body;
• a lancet having at least lancet tip embedded in the body to maintain sterility of the lancet tip prior to use, the lancet tip being configured to pierce the body when extending from the body during lancing an incision;
• wherein the body is configured to hygienically enclose the lancet tip when the lancet tip retracts inside the body after lancing;
• a test element fixed to the body for analyzing analyte in body fluid from the incision;
• wherein the body has at least a portion made of elastic material that is configured to be pierced by the lancet during lancing;
• and
• a stiff material attached to the elastic material to ensure mechanical stability of the elastic material during lancing.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a magazine;
• a plurality of analytical devices housed in the magazine;
• and
• wherein each of the analytical devices includes
• a lancet for creating an incision in tissue,
• a body in which at least a portion of the lancet is embedded for maintaining sterility of the lancet prior to creating the incision, wherein the body is able to pieced by the lancet,
• a test element coupled to the body for analyzing fluid from the incision, and
• wherein the body is configured to encapsulate the lancet after creating the incision to minimize cross-contamination between the used and unused analytical devices in the magazine.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an analytical device comprising
• a test element configured to analyze analyte in body fluid,
• a lancet having a lancet tip configured to pierce tissue to supply the body fluid to the test element,
• a body attached to the test element,
• at least the lancet tip being sealed inside the body, wherein the body isolates the lancet tip from the test element to allow the lancet to be sterilized separately from the test element, and
• the body being pierceable by the lancing tip to permit movement of the lancet tip to an extended position where the lancet tip pierces the tissue.