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US 8,092,394 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for sampling and analysis of fluids
AssigneeMicrosample Ltd.
InventorsAnthony David Harman, John Maclaren Cassells
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMicrosample Ltd.
InventorsAnthony David Harman, John Maclaren Cassells
Estimating the term…
A medical device having a housing (2) with a bore (3) and a lancet (1) slidably fitting in the bore. The lancet operates as a positive displacement piston. In a retracted position, in which the lancet is rearwardly displaced along the bore to define a fluid-containing space in the bore forwardly on the lancet tip, the fluid-containing space has a cross-section dimension to allow fluid to be retained therein by surface tension. The device has a seal (6) operable substantially to prevent flow of fluid from the fluid-containing space past the seal means on movement of the lancet. Displacement of the lancet between the puncture and retracted positions provides suction for drawing fluid into and along the fluid-containing space from the forward end of the bore, and/or pressure for expelling fluid from the fluid-containing space via the forward end of the bore. Also disclosed are methods for operating the device.
An allergy-testing device, the device having a housing with a bore and a lancet slidably fitting in the bore, the lancet being a penetrating component and being movable between a puncture position, in which a sharpened tip of the lancet is exposed from a forward end of the bore for a puncture operation, and a retracted position, in which the lancet is rearwardly displaced along the bore to a safe position to protect users from needle-stick injuries, the device having seal means in sliding engagement with a sealing surface, one of the seal means and the sealing surface being fixedly movable with the lancet during forward and rearward displacement of the lancet, wherein in the retracted position a liquid-containing space is defined in the bore forwardly of the lancet tip, an aqueous liquid contained in the liquid-containing space comprising an aqueous solution of allergen or a suspension of allergen particles in a carrier liquid, the liquid-containing space having a cross-sectional diameter of 3 mm or less to allow aqueous liquid to fully bridge across the diameter of the forward end of the bore and wet the full circumference of the forward end of the bore and be aspirated into the liquid-containing space, and be retained in the liquid-containing space by surface tension forces and by the seal means, wherein the seal means is operable substantially to prevent flow of the aqueous liquid from the liquid-containing space past the seal means on forwards, and rearwards displacement of the lancet and to oppose dripping of the aqueous liquid from the forward end of the bore under the influence of gravity so that:
A device according to claim l including sensing means for sensing the presence or absence of liquid at the forward end of the bore.
An allergy-testing device, the device having a housing with a bore and a lancet slidably fitting in the bore, the lancet being a penetrating component and being movable between a puncture position, in which a sharpened tip of the lancet is exposed from a forward end of the bore for a puncture operation, and a retracted position, in which the lancet is rearwardly displaced along the bore to a safe position to protect users from needle-stick injuries, the device having seal means in sliding engagement with a sealing surface, one of the seal means and the sealing surface being fixedly movable with the lancet during forward and rearward displacement of the lancet, wherein in the retracted position a liquid-containing space is defined in the bore forwardly of the lancet tip, an aqueous liquid contained in the liquid-containing space comprising an aqueous solution of allergen or a suspension of allergen particles in a carrier liquid, the liquid-containing space having a cross-sectional diameter of 3 mm or less to allow aqueous liquid to fully bridge across the diameter of the forward end of the bore and wet the full circumference of the forward end of the bore and be aspirated into the liquid-containing space, and be retained in the liquid-containing space by surface tension forces and by the seal means, wherein the seal means is operable substantially to prevent flow of the aqueous liquid from the liquid-containing space past the seal means on forwards and rearwards displacement of the lancet and to oppose dripping of the aqueous liquid from the forward end of the bore under the influence of gravity so that:
An allergy-testing device, the device having a housing with a bore and a lancet slidably fitting in the bore, the lancet being a penetrating component and being movable between apuncture position, in which a sharpened tip of the lancet is exposed from a forward end of the bore for a puncture operation, and a retracted position, in which the lancet is rearwardly displaced along the bore to a safe position to protect users from needle-stick injuries, the device having seal means in sliding engagement with a sealing surface, one of the seal means and the sealing surface being fixedly movable with the lancet during forward and rearward displacement of the lancet, wherein in the retracted position a liquid-containing space is defined in the bore forwardly of the lancet tip, an aqueous liquid contained in the liquid-containing space comprising an aqueous solution of allergen or a suspension of allergen particles in a carrier liquid, the liquid-containing space having a cross-sectional diameter of 3 mm or less to allow aqueous liquid to fully bridge across the diameter of the forward end of the bore and wet the full circumference of the forward end of the bore and be aspirated into the liquid-containing space, and be retained in the liquid-containing space by surface tension forces and by the seal means, wherein the seal means is operable substantially to prevent flow of the aqueous liquid from the liquid-containing space past the seal means on forwards and rearwards displacement of the lancet and to oppose dripping of the aqueous liquid from the forward end of the bore under the influence of gravity so that:
A method of operating an allergy-testing device, the device having a housing with a bore and a lancet slidably fitting in the bore, the lancet being a penetrating component and being movable between a puncture position, in which a sharpened tip of the lancet is exposed from a forward end of the bore for a puncture operation, and a retracted position, in which the lancet is rearwardly displaced along the bore to a safe position to protect users from needle-stick injuries, the device having seal means in sliding engagement with a sealing surface, one of the seal means and the sealing surface being fixedly movable with the lancet during forward and rearward displacement of the lancet, wherein in the retracted position, a liquid-containing space is defined in the bore forwardly of the lancet tip, the liquid-containing space having a cross-sectional diameter of 3 mm or less so that aqueous liquid fully bridges across the diameter of the forward end of the bore and wets the full circumference of the forward end of the bore and is aspirated into the liquid-containing space, and is retained in the liquid containing space by surface tension forces and by the seal means, wherein the seal means substantially prevents flow of the aqueous liquid from the liquid-containing space past the seal means on forward and rearwards displacement of the lancet and opposes dripping of the aqueous liquid from the forward end of the bore under the influence of gravity, the method including displacing the lancet between the puncture and retracted positions to carry out the following steps in sequence:
A method of operating an allergy-testing device, the device having a housing with a bore and a lancet slidably fitting in the bore, the lancet being a penetrating component and being moveable between a puncture position, in which a sharpened tip of the lancet is exposed from a forward end of the bore for a puncture operation, and a retracted position, in which the lancet is rearwardly displaced along the bore to a safe position to protect users from needle-stick injuries, the device having seal means in sliding engagement with a sealing surface, one of the seal means and the sealing surface being fixedly movable with the lancet during forward and rearward displacement of the lancet, wherein in the retracted position, a liquid-containing space is defined in the bore forwardly of the lancet tip, wherein an aqueous liquid is contained in the liquid-containing space comprising an aqueous solution of allergen or a suspension of allergen particles in a carrier liquid, the liquid-containing space having a cross-sectional diameter of 3 mm or less so that aqueous liquid fully bridges across the diameter of the forward end of the bore and wets the full circumference of the forward end of the bore and is retained in the liquid-containing space by surface tension forces and by the seal means, wherein the seal means substantially prevents flow of said aqueous liquid from the liquid-containing space past the seal means on forward and rearwards displacement of the lancet and opposes dripping of the aqueous liquid from the forward end of the bore under the influence of gravity, the method including displacing the lancet between the puncture and retracted positions to carry out the following steps in sequence:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.