Blood collecting puncture device and magazine used for the same

Provided are a blood collecting puncture device having high safety which can hygienically maintain the inside of a magazine and prevent infection, and the magazine. A blood collecting puncture device has a blood collecting puncture device body removably incorporating a magazine for housing lancets for puncturing human skin. The blood collecting puncture device body has a first housing section for housing not-yet-used lancets and a second housing section for housing used lancets to be disposed of. When a rotor is rotated, individual lancets are sequentially conveyed on a one-by-one basis to a stock position, a puncture position, and a disposal position, and this causes a not-yet-used lancet to be housed in the first housing section and also causes a used lancet to be housed in the second housing section, so that the lancets are separately housed in spaces isolated from each other.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a blood sampling puncturing device and a magazine to puncture skin and sample blood when a blood sugar level measurement and so forth are performed using a simple blood sugar measuring apparatus.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, various puncturing devices for sampling blood and disposable lancets to use with these puncturing devices have been developed. A puncturing device using a lancet once and discarding it per puncturing operation has problems as follows. When a lancet is mounted in and removed from a puncturing device, a hand and so forth are punctured erroneously with a puncture needle exposing from one end of the lancet. In addition, it is troublesome to mount/remove lancets.

Patent Document 1 discloses a magazine type puncturing device in which a plurality of lancets are stored.

FIG. 1is an exploded perspective view of a magazine type blood sampling puncturing device described in Patent Document 1.

As shown inFIG. 1, magazine type puncturing device10includes a plurality of puncturing members18. The plurality of puncturing members18are radially arranged along groove24formed on the circumference of circular cartridge12. After being set in blood sampling device10, circular cartridge12rotates in the circumferential direction by pressing a charging button (not shown), so that new puncturing member18is held by linear actuator56provided with puncturing member moving and assembling member34and charged.

Afterward, puncturing member18extends by pressing a puncturing button (not shown) and punctures tissue such as skin. After puncturing, puncturing member18immediately parts from skin and returns into the circular cartridge. In addition, blood exuding from skin is measured and analyzed in a separate blood analysis apparatus.

When puncturing is newly performed the next time, circular cartridge12is rotated in the circumferential direction by operating again the charging button, so that it is possible to set new puncturing member18.

As for this magazine type puncturing device, it is possible to replace a magazine in whole, including lancets stored inside, so that the lancets are not directly touched, and therefore, safe operations, including mounting, puncturing and discarding, are allowed.

Patent Document 1: Published Japanese Translation of PCT Application 2006-504506

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

The user does not have to directly handle lancets one-by-one by using the above-described magazine type puncturing device, so that safety is assured to prevent needle stick injury.

However, with conventional magazine puncturing devices, lancets before use and lancets after use resides in the same space in a magazine, that is, lancets stained with blood after use are not separated from lancets before use. Therefore, the problem of sanitation in a magazine remains, and it is necessary to further improve safety against infection and so forth.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a blood sampling puncturing device and a magazine allowing improvement of sanitation in a magazine and the safety by prevention of infection.

Solution to Problem

The blood sampling puncturing device according to the present invention adopts a configuration in which, in the blood sampling puncturing device that removably incorporates a magazine in which a plurality of lancets each having a needle to puncture skin are stored, the magazine separately stores lancets before use and lancets after use in spaces isolated from one another.

The magazine according to the present invention adopts a configuration in which the magazine mounted in a blood sampling puncturing device that punctures skin using a needle stores a plurality of lancets each having the needle, and separately stores lancets before use and lancets after use in spaces apart from one another.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to store lancets before use and lancets after use in separate and isolated spaces, and therefore, it is possible to improve sanitation and safety by prevention of infection.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 2is an external perspective view of a blood sampling puncturing device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

As shown inFIG. 2, blood sampling puncturing device100includes puncturing device body101made of resin and having an approximately rectangular solid shape.

Puncturing opening102allowing a lancet needle for puncturing to pass through is open in a side surface of puncturing device body101.

Puncturing device body101includes charging lever103to charge puncturing lancets to perform puncturing, depth adjusting lever104to adjust the puncturing depth, puncturing button105to eject the charged puncturing lancet and stopper106that limits operations of the magazine in order to prevent ejection even if the button is pressed erroneously. In addition, magazine107is mounted in puncturing device body101.

Needle feeding lever108is provided in magazine107and has a function to set one-by-one lancets stored in magazine107. In addition, needle feeding lever108cannot move while stopper106is enabled.

FIGS. 3A and 3Bare perspective views showing blood sampling puncturing device100separated into puncturing device body101and magazine107.FIG. 3Ais an external perspective view of puncturing device body101andFIG. 3Bis an external perspective view of magazine107.

As shown inFIG. 3B, magazine107has magazine cap109that protects magazine107and check window110that allows viewing of the remaining number of the lancets stored in magazine107.

Magazine cap109is used, for example, when the magazine is separately carried, in order not to touch needle part.

A plurality of lancets303are accommodated in magazine107. Magazine107has inside a dedicated storing section described later, which stores used lancets separately.

FIG. 4is a perspective view of lancet303used in blood sampling puncturing device100.

FIG. 5is a perspective view transparently showing primary parts in blood sampling puncturing device100.FIG. 5is a transparent perspective view of puncturing device body101(including magazine107) shown inFIG. 2and shows a state in which a plurality of lancets303are stored in magazine107.

Plunger401holds lancet303and moves the lancet when the lancet is charged for puncturing and performs puncturing.

Rotation rotor402has a function to separately supply lancets303in magazine107one-by-one lancets303to lancet holding holes405provided in front of rotation rotor402.

Rotation limiting section403limits the rotating direction of rotation rotor402to prevent rotation rotor402from rotating in the opposite direction.

Spring404biases in the puncturing direction in actual puncturing. Spring404is contracted by charging lever103and accumulates a biasing force for puncturing. Spring404is released by puncturing button105to eject lancet303toward skin.

FIG. 6is a front cross sectional view of puncturing device body101and magazine107.

As shown inFIG. 6, puncturing device body101includes first storing section501that stores lancets303before use, storing inlet505, discard needle feeding lever506, second storing section507that stores used lancets to be discarded, storing section partition plate508and discarding rib509.

Numbers502,503and504inFIG. 6indicate the stocking position, the puncturing position and the discarding position, respectively.

Stocking position502is a position to separate the top lancet303in first storing section501and move it to lancet holding hole405. Puncturing position503is a position to charge a lancet and perform a puncturing operation. Discarding position504indicates a position to discard the lancet after puncturing with the lancet.

Here, lancet holding holes405are provided in three places and arranged at even intervals and equiangularly about the axis of the rotation rotor.

Storing inlet505is an opening part to take used lancets to be discarded into second storing section507.

Discard needle feeding lever506indicates the position of the bottom used lancet in the second storing section507and moves every time a used lancet is collected.

Storing section partition plate508physically separates between first storing section501and second storing section507.

Discarding rib509has a function to limit to collect used lancets into storing inlet505.

Now, operations of the blood sampling puncturing device configured as described above will be explained.

Operation of Lancet303at the Time of Puncturing

As shown inFIG. 4, at the time of puncturing, protective cap303ais torn from separating part303bto expose the inner puncturing needle303d. Plunger-held section303eis held by plunger401(seeFIG. 5) provided inside puncturing device body101, and therefore, lancet303is held.

Operations of Blood Sampling Puncturing Device100

First, operations of rotation rotor402will be explained.

FIGS. 7A to 7Dare cross sectional views of primary parts explaining operations of blood sampling puncturing device100and each show a state in which lancet303moves resulting from the operation of rotation rotor402.

As shown inFIG. 7A, lancets303before use stored in first storing section501are conveyed to stocking position502by pressing upward needle feeding lever108after stopper106is released. In a state in which stopper106is not released, first storing section501and puncturing device body101are separated from one another.

As shown inFIG. 7B, lancet303fed to stocking position502is conveyed from stocking position502to puncturing position503by rotation of rotation rotor402in the direction of the arrow.

As shown inFIG. 7D, lancet303fed to discarding position504is conveyed from discarding position504to discarding vent505by rotation rotor402, and finally, stored in second storing section507from the partition plate of discarding vent505being open due to an action of discarding rib509. Used lancets303are isolated in second storing section507by the partition plate of discarding vent505.

Lancet303is conveyed to stocking position502, puncturing position503and discarding position504in sequence by rotation rotor402. Rotation limiting section403(seeFIG. 5) prevents rotation rotor402from rotating in the opposite direction, so that lancets after use do not return to first storing section501but are stored certainly in second storing section507. Then, one lancet303is taken out from first storing section501in magazine107, passes through the stocking position, performs a puncturing operation in the puncturing position, passes through discarding position504and is stored in second storing section507. After this one cycle is finished, a new lancet is taken out and the next puncturing operation is performed.

By this means, lancets before use and lancets after use are separately stored, so that it is possible to ensure sanitation and safety against infection, which are problems with conventional magazine type puncturing devices.

Next, operations of the puncturing driving section will be explained.

FIG. 8is a transparent perspective view of a puncturing driving section and its neighboring primary parts in blood sampling puncturing device100.FIGS. 9A to 9Fare perspective views of primary parts explaining operations of the blood sampling puncturing device and each show a state of the puncturing driving section in operation.

FIG. 9Bshows a state in which charging by charging lever103is under way.

FIG. 9Cshows the time of competing charging. Lancet303is set in the charging position by moving charging lever103in the opposite direction to the puncturing direction. At the same time lancet303is charged, protective cap303aof lancet303is separated from separating part303bof lancet body303cby rotation rotor402and plunger401.

FIG. 9Dshows a state in which puncturing button105is pressed after charging and a puncturing operation is under way.

FIG. 9Eshows a state in which lancet303punctures an object such as skin and so forth by biasing spring404in the puncturing direction.

FIG. 9Fshows a state in which lancet303returns after puncturing.

As described above in detail, according to the present embodiment, blood sampling puncturing device100has blood sampling puncturing device body101removably incorporating magazine107that stores a plurality of lancets to puncture skin. This puncturing device body101includes first storing section501that store lancets303before use and second storing section507that stores used lancets303to be discarded. Lancets303are conveyed one-by-one to stocking position502, puncturing position503and discarding position504in sequence by rotating rotation rotor402. Lancets303before use are stored in first storing section501and lancet303after use are stored in second storing section507to separately store in spaces isolated from one another. This configuration allows storage of lancets such that lancets before use and lancets after use are stored separate spaces isolated from one another, so that it is possible to improve sanitation and safety by prevention of inflection.

FIG. 10is a cross sectional view explaining operations of a blood sampling puncturing device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The same components as inFIGS. 9A to 9Fwill be assigned the same reference numerals and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

While the above-described Embodiment 1 has three lancet holding holes405in rotation rotor402, Embodiment 2 has six lancet holding holes405.

Basic operations of Embodiment 2 are the same as those of Embodiment 1 but the number of lancet holding holes405differs from Embodiment 1. Since the number of lancet holding holes405is greater, it is possible to reduce the number of rotations of the rotation rotor after a lancet is discarded until the next lancet is held in the stocking position.

In the same way as the above-described Embodiment 1, a lancet303is conveyed to stocking position502, puncturing position503and discarding position504in sequence by rotating rotation rotor402in the direction of the arrow.

Here, lancet holding holes405are provided in six places and arranged at even intervals and equiangularly about the axis of the rotation rotor.

FIG. 11is a cross sectional view explaining operations of a blood sampling puncturing device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The same components as inFIGS. 9A to 9Fwill be assigned the same reference numerals and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

While the above-described Embodiment 1 has three lancet holding holes405in rotation rotor402, Embodiment 3 has one lancet holding hole405.

In the same way as the above-described Embodiment 1, Embodiment 3 allows one cycle of a puncturing operation from stocking position502through puncturing position503to discarding position504by rotating rotation rotor402once. Lancet303is conveyed from the stocking position through the puncturing position to the discarding position by rotating rotation rotor402in the direction of the arrow.

According to Embodiment 3, there is only one lancet holding hole405, so that it is possible to prevent another lancet from being set in the rotation rotor by an incorrect operation.

The above description is illustration of preferred embodiments of the present invention and the scope of the invention is not limited to this.

Although the name “blood sampling puncturing device” is used in each of the above-described embodiments for ease of explanation, “puncturing device”, “puncturing lancet” and so forth are possible.

The type, the number, the connection method and so forth of each of parts constituting the above-described blood sampling puncturing device, such as a rotation rotor and a conveying mechanism, are not limited.

The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-069043, filed on Mar. 18, 2008, including the specification, drawings and abstract, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The blood sampling puncturing device and the magazine according to the present invention are applicable to a blood sampling puncturing device and so forth having a magazine that stores separately lancets before use and lancets after use as measures to provide sanitation in the magazine and assure safety by prevention of infection.