Springless Safety Lancet With Integrated Retraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing single-use lancing devices are costly and not true safety lancets due to their complex construction, and many cost-reduced versions allow for reuse, compromising safety.

Innovation Solution

A lancing device composed of a housing, a lancet, and an activation/retraction control assembly made of molded plastic, with cooperating engagement and releasable structures that eliminate the need for a drive spring, ensuring the lancet is driven to a fully extended position and then retracted, disabling the device from reuse.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If single-use lancing devices include a housing, lancet, drive spring, actuator, retraction spring, and disabling mechanism, then the device provides safety and functionality, but the cost increases and construction becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidconstruction

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the retraction spring and disabling mechanism into a single integrated component. The spring serves dual functions: retracting the lancet after use and preventing re-use through its engagement with the housing. This merging eliminates the need for separate retraction and disabling components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining safety functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The retraction spring is designed as a multi-functional element that performs both lancet retraction and re-use prevention. When compressed during operation, it propels the lancet forward; after use, it automatically retracts the lancet and engages with the housing to disable the device. This universal component replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate parts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Device complexity

If single-use lancing devices eliminate the retraction spring and disabling mechanism to reduce cost, then the construction becomes simpler and cost decreases, but the device permits reuse and is no longer a true safety lancet

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveconstructionVSAvoidsafety

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If lancing devices are designed for multiple uses, then the device can be reused, but it creates infection risk and requires complex disabling mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereusabilityVSAvoidinfection risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the lancing device as a disposable single-use unit. The entire device including housing, lancet, and retraction spring is intended for one use only and then discarded. This eliminates infection risk to subsequent patients or caregivers from residual body fluids, while the low cost of the simplified design makes the disposable approach economically viable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

4Device complexity

If lancing devices are designed as simple single-use units without retraction or disabling mechanisms, then the cost decreases and construction simplifies, but they are not true safety lancets

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveconstructionVSAvoidsafety

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS7955347B2Low cost safety lancet

Publication Date: 2011.06.07 FACET TECH LLC

AI summary

A lancing device has a housing, an activation/retraction control assembly, and a lancet. The control assembly and the housing have cooperating engagement structures such as detents that disengage after a predetermined launch force is applied to the control assembly. In this way, the lancet is driven to its puncturing position without the use of a drive spring. In addition, the control assembly and the lancet have cooperating releasable engagement structures such as notched sections and tamped protrusions that disengage when the lancet reaches its puncturing position, thereby freeing the lancet from the control assembly. And the control assembly has angled retraction structures that engage the freed lancet to bias it back safely into the housing.