Disposable Lancing Device Locking Ring Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lancing devices face challenges in accurately maintaining the lancet in a puncture-ready position and consistently delivering sufficient puncturing force due to issues with spring compression accuracy and operating force direction, which can lead to insufficient blood collection or mechanical instability during the puncturing process.
Innovation Solution
A disposable lancing device design featuring a locking ring that allows the lancet to be held in a puncture-ready position with compressed spring force, enabling stable puncturing by rotating the locking ring to disengage the lancet, thus avoiding horizontal operating forces and preventing reuse through a reuse-preventing mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spring member is used to urge the lancet for puncturing, then the lancet can be extended to carry out the puncturing operation, but it is difficult to establish compression force with sufficient accuracy, leading to unreliable puncturing force
Solution Approach 1:
The lancet is pre-compressed by the spring member to a puncture-ready position before operation, where the spring is already compressed to generate the required puncturing force. The locking ring then maintains this pre-established compression force, ensuring reliable and accurate puncturing without needing to measure compression force during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the reliance on spring compression force measurement with a mechanical locking system. Instead of measuring and controlling compression force, the locking ring mechanically maintains the spring in a pre-compressed state, substituting force measurement with positional locking.
2Ease of operation
If a detent piece is pushed from the horizontal direction to release engagement, then the lancet can be extended, but the center axis of the lancet may deviate and catch other components, increasing frictional resistance
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pushing the detent piece horizontally to release engagement, the invention inverts the approach by rotating the locking ring to disengage the locking protrusion. This rotational motion maintains the lancet's center axis alignment while achieving lancet extension, avoiding the deviation and friction problems caused by horizontal pushing.
3Ease of operation
If the lancet is rotated to release engagement with the seating surface, then the puncturing operation can be carried out, but deformation or displacement of the lancet may occur, and rotational force may deform the spring member
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the lancet to release engagement, the invention inverts the approach by rotating the locking ring to disengage the locking protrusion from the locking groove. This maintains the lancet's structural integrity and prevents spring deformation while achieving the same engagement release function.
4Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to maintain the lancet in puncture-ready position, then puncturing reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking ring serves multiple functions: it locks the lancet in the puncture-ready position, maintains spring compression force, and prevents inadvertent activation. By combining these functions into a single component, the mechanism achieves high reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
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
The solution ensures stable and reliable puncturing operations by maintaining consistent spring force and preventing reuse, reducing the risk of mechanical failure and improving user safety and efficiency in blood collection.
Implementation Method 1
a spring member adapted to urge the lancet in a direction away from the distal end of the housing so as to induce the puncturing operation
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable lancing device including: a lancet housed in a housing and urged by a spring member such that a puncture member provided at a distal end of the lancet is adapted to extend out from the housing so as to carry out a puncturing operation; a locking ring disposed within the housing such that the lancet is allowed to displace in an extension direction through the locking ring; a locking protrusion provided to the lancet and adapted to be engaged by the locking ring so as to hold the lancet in a puncture-ready position located deep in the housing with the spring member being compressed; and an operating member adapted to carry out the puncturing operation by rotating the locking ring so as to disengage the locking protrusion from the locking ring and displace the lancet in the extension direction by means of the spring member.