Lancet Instrument Elastic Deformation Safety Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lancet instruments face issues with the lancet tip projecting through the casing opening after use, leading to potential skin injury due to weakened frictional engagement, especially under vibrations.
Innovation Solution
A lancet instrument design featuring a lancet with an elastic deformation part and a ring-like member that can irreversibly release to block the lancet tip's movement, utilizing tapered shapes to prevent re-fitting and ensure secure containment within the casing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lancet and casing are engaged by friction between the hub and casing inner periphery, then the lancet tip is prevented from projecting through the opening, but the engagement may be weakened due to vibration or other factors causing the lancet to displace toward the opening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the engagement mechanism from friction-based to geometric constraint-based by introducing a tapered hub and corresponding tapered groove in the casing. This parameter change transforms the engagement from a sliding friction connection to a mechanical interlock where the tapered surfaces guide and restrict the lancet's movement, eliminating the reliability issues caused by vibration that affect friction-based engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement interface is segmented into distinct functional elements: the tapered hub portion of the lancet and the corresponding tapered groove in the casing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function - the hub for providing the tapered engagement surface and the casing groove for providing the complementary constraint - thereby improving overall engagement reliability against vibrational disturbances.
2Ease of operation
If the lancet tip is allowed to project through the opening for blood sampling, then blood can be sampled effectively, but the patient's skin or tissue may be injured by mistake after use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic safety mechanism where the lancet can be in two states: projected outward for active blood sampling and retracted into the casing for storage. The tapered hub and groove mechanism automatically guides the lancet back into the casing after use, creating a dynamic system that transitions from a potentially harmful projected state to a safe retracted state, thereby eliminating accidental injury risks while maintaining sampling efficiency during use.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively prevents the lancet tip from projecting through the opening after puncture, enhancing safety by ensuring secure containment and preventing accidental skin injury.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic deformation part extended from the lancet hub and elastically deformable so that the distance thereof from the lancet body can be changed
Implementation Method 2
an inner periphery of the ring-like member has a tapered shape such that the inside diameter of the ring-like member gradually increases in the tip direction, and an outer periphery of a fitting part of the elastic deformation part, to which said ring-like member is fitted, has a tapered shape such that an outside diameter of the fitting part gradually increases in the tip direction
Data Source
AI summary
A lancet instrument detachably fitted to a lancing apparatus, comprising a lancet having a lancet body with a sharp lancet tip at its tip, a lancet hub fixed to the lancet body so that the lancet tip is exposed, and an elastic deformation part extended from the lancet hub in the tip direction and elastically deformable so that the distance thereof from the lancet body can be changed, a ring-like member fitted to the outer periphery of the elastic deformation part and releasable in the tip direction by changing the distance between the elastic deformation part and the lancet body, and a casing having a ring-like member contact part storing the lancet so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction and formed in the inner peripheral part thereof so that the ring-like member is brought into contact therewith and stopped to move in the tip direction and a tip opening through which the lancet tip can be projected. The lancet instrument thus obtained is so formed that the projection of the lancet tip through the tip opening of the casing is blocked by moving the ring-like member released from the elastic deformation part in the tip direction between the tip of the elastic deformation part and the ring-like member contact part to restrict the movement of the lancet.