Patent ID: 7537571
Filing Date: 2009-05-26
Classification: A61B,G01N

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for collecting blood from a patient's skin, the apparatus comprising a disc shaped sampling module radially partitioned into a plurality of sampling segments positioned near a periphery of the disc shaped sampling module, each sampling segment having components to perform a single blood sampling and testing event and including a sampling port, a lancet having a tip, the tip adjacent the sampling port, the lancet maintained within a housing and operable to extend the lancet tip through the sampling port to pierce the patient's skin positioned adjacent the sampling port, the disc shaped sampling module having a plurality of sample test chambers, each of a sample test chamber in fluid communication with a sampling port via a capillary channel with a diameter that is less than 0.1 mm, the sample test chambers associated with testing means, each of a sample test chamber being sized to hold no more than about 0.4 microliter of a blood sample; a driver configured to be coupled to the lancet, the driver being associated with a driver port; a first seal that seals each of a lancet tip prior to use; a second seal adjacent to a lancet head that seals the driver port; a contact interface that aligns the sampling module with a reader device; and a rotation device coupled to the sampling module and configured to rotate the sampling module into position for a new sampling event.