Blood sampling devices

[54] BLOOD SAMPLING DEVICES

[75] Inventors: David D. Crossman, Watlington;

Ernest J. Mumford, Witney; Jeremy
Marshall, Newington, all of United
Kingdom

[73] Assignee: Owen Mumford Limited, Woodstock, United Kingdom

[21] Appl. No.: 189,691

[22] Filed: May 2,1988

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data

May 1, 1987 [GB] United Kingdom 8710470

[51] Int. a.* A61B 27/34

[52] U.S. a 128/314; 128/329 R

[58] Field of Search 128/314, 315, 329 R,

128/763, 770

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

3,030,959 4/1962 Grunert 128/314 X

4,449,529 5/1984 Burns et al 128/314

4,452,243 6/1984 Leopoldi et al 128/314

Primary Examiner—Michael H. Thaler
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Young & Thompson

[57] ABSTRACT

A disposable pricker has a body (1,2) lance (4) spring (3) and cap (13) integrally moulded in plastics, the cap being subsequently separable. The lance tip (5) is a needle embedded in the moulding and relatively inaccessible within the body. Formations (17) within the cap compress the spring (3) as the cap is fitted until they are flexed aside by co-operation with abutments (7) within the body. The lance (4) is released and shoots forward for the tip (5) momentarily to project proud of the cap (13). The latter is made captive to the lance (4) during this movement and cannot be removed to repeat the operation. The lance tip (5) thus remains concealed within the cap (13). In another capless version, squeezing the body (31) wedges the lance (36) back until it escapes and is shot forward by a spring (38). On recovery within the body, the lance is blocked from reverting to the position where it can be re-actuated.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets