Lancing Device Safety Switch and Ejection Pin Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lancing devices are complicated to use and pose a risk of injury and contamination when changing used lancets, as they lack protection against unintentional firing and safe handling mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The lancing device incorporates a safety switch to prevent accidental cocking and firing, along with an ejection pin and switch system that allows for safe removal and insertion of lancets without direct contact with the pricking element, ensuring the lancet is not fired unintentionally when the device is open for changing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lancing device allows manual operation for lancet ejection, then the user can control the firing process, but the risk of unintentional firing and injury increases
Solution Approach 1:
A safety switch is introduced as an intermediary component between the user's manual operation and the lancet ejection mechanism. The safety switch must be activated to enable the lancet holder to be cocked and fired, creating an additional control layer that prevents unintentional firing while maintaining manual control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The safety switch changes the dynamic state of the lancing device from a continuously operable state to a controlled state where operation is conditional. The device transitions between locked and unlocked states based on the safety switch position, adding dynamic control to prevent accidental activation
2Ease of operation
If the front cap is removed to change the lancet, then access to the lancet holder is improved, but the exposed pricking element creates contamination and injury risk
Solution Approach 1:
The safety switch is activated in advance before the front cap is removed, preventing the lancet holder from being cocked or fired during the lancet replacement process. This preliminary safety measure counteracts the potential harm of exposing the pricking element by ensuring the mechanism cannot activate accidentally
Solution Approach 2:
The safety switch serves as an intermediary protective layer that remains active during cap removal and lancet replacement. It mediates between the user's need for access and the safety requirement by blocking the firing path unless deliberately activated
3Ease of operation
If the lancet holder is made slideable for easy lancet replacement, then the replacement process is simplified, but the risk of accidental cocking and firing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety switch acts as an intermediary control that must be activated to enable the slideable lancet holder to be cocked. This prevents accidental cocking during lancet replacement while maintaining the ease of slideable operation for intentional firing
Solution Approach 2:
The slideable lancet holder's movement characteristics are dynamically controlled by the safety switch. The holder can always be moved manually for replacement, but the cocking motion that leads to firing is dynamically blocked unless the safety switch is activated, creating conditional mobility
Data Source
AI summary
A lancing device for ejecting a lancet having a pricking element protruding therefrom along an ejection axis is provided. The lancing device includes a front cap having an opening facing against an object to be pricked, a lancet holder slideable between a cocked position and a pricking position, and a safety switch moveable between a safety position and a passing position, wherein the pricking element extends beyond the opening when the lancet is ejected; the safety switch prevents the lancet holder form being cocked when the safety switch is in the safety position, and the safety switch allows the lancet holder to be cocked and moved when the safety switch is in the passing position.