← Back to Patent Explorer
US5611809A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Needle devices for medical use

Assignee: Owen Mumford Ltd
•
Filing: 1995-11-06
•
Granted: 1997-03-18
•
Expires: 2015-11-06
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A skin pricker has a barrel (1) housing a lancet (3) which is urged rearwardly by a spring (4 ). A plunger (2) can move the lancet (3) against the spring (4) to project the lancet's needle tip or tips (18) from the forward end of the barrel (1). The plunger (2) presses on the rear of the lancet (3) through a firing pin (16) integrally formed with the plunger and connected to it by a thin web (17). Increased pressure after needle tip projection shears the web and the lancet (3) is free to be returned by the spring (4), withdrawing the needle tip or tips.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jeremy Marshall
  • 👤 Stuart Weekes

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 16:40
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/15; A61B5/151; A61B5/15142; A61B5/150007; A61B5/150015; A61B5/150022; A61B5/150374; A61B5/150381; A61B5/150412; A61B5/150503; A61B5/150519; A61B5/150885; A61B5/150908; A61B5/150977; A61B5/15101; A61B5/15103; A61B5/15105; A61B5/15144

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 61 words
A needle device comprising a body with a needle at its forward end for skin penetration and an actuating member for exerting pressure on the body from the rearward end in the needle direction, the actuating member having a coupling to the body which includes a connection that fractures under pressure above a predetermined limit thereby to render the device non-re-usable.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 61 words
A needle device comprising a body with a needle at its forward end for skin penetration and an actuating member for exerting pressure on the body from the rearward end in the needle direction, the actuating member having a coupling to the body which includes a connection that fractures under pressure above a predetermined limit thereby to render the device non-re-usable.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 131 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is a skin pricker comprising a barrel-like housing with one end closed apart from at least one aperture, a lancet guided within the housing with a needle aligned with at least one aperture, spring means biasing the lancet away from the closed end, and a plunger guided by the other end of the housing and coupled to the lancet via a thin web, the plunger when pressed causing the lancet, in a first stage, to move to a limit against the spring means and at least one needle to project from the housing, and causing in a second stage, with increased pressure, the thin web to fracture and thereby release the lancet and allow the spring means to retract the lancet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 15 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lancet has a plurality of needles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the needles are arranged in a circular array.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 30 words
A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lancet body is generally cylindrical and is guided on a central pin projecting inwardly from the closed end of the housing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 24 words
A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spring means is a coil spring surrounding the pin and reacting against the closed end.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 28 words
A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lancet co-operates with the housing so that it will not twist, thereby keeping the needles aligned with the apertures.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 32 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plunger couples to the lancet by a firing pin which, when the web has been fractured, falls away from both plunger and lancet.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 16 words
A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the web connects the plunger and firing pin.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 16 words
A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the web connects the lancet and firing pin.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3221739A Cited
EP0061102A2 Cited
US4653513A Cited
EP0427406A1 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-03-17 2000-09-16 2001-03-18 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-03-17 2004-09-16 2005-03-18 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-03-17 2008-09-16 2009-03-18 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag