A lancing device for use with a multi-lancet chain to lance skin, the multi-lancet chain including a series of lancing elements interconnected by breakaway connections, the lancing device comprising: a housing; a lancet holder that is received in the housing and carries the multi-lancet chain, wherein a forward-most lancing element of the multi-lancet chain is carried by the lancet holder through a lancing stroke to an extended position relative to the housing for lancing the skin; an advance-and-eject mechanism including a positioning member that is received in the housing, carries the lancet holder carrying the multi-lancet chain, and is operable to advance and eject the forward-most lancing element of the multi-lancet chain, characterized in that the advance-and-eject mechanism further includes an actuator, one or more control channels, a cam-and-follower mechanism, one or more axial-contact members (140, 144, 150), and one or more angular-contact members (142, 146), wherein actuating the actuator relative to the control channels imparts rotational and axial forces on the positioning member, wherein the cam-and-follower mechanism selectively restricts rotational and axial motion of the positioning member to induce first-stage rotation, second-stage translation, and third-stage rotation, wherein the first-stage rotation rotates the axial-contact members from a non-interference position to an interference position relative to the forward-most lancing element, the second-stage translation advances the axial-contact members and the interfered-with forward-most lancing element, and the third-stage rotation rotates the angular-contact members and the forward-most lancing element to sever its breakaway connection to the multi-lancet chain to eject it from the lancing device. a housing; a lancet holder that is received in the housing and carries the multi-lancet chain, wherein a forward-most lancing element of the multi-lancet chain is carried by the lancet holder through a lancing stroke to an extended position relative to the housing for lancing the skin; an advance-and-eject mechanism including a positioning member that is received in the housing, carries the lancet holder carrying the multi-lancet chain, and is operable to advance and eject the forward-most lancing element of the multi-lancet chain, characterized in that the advance-and-eject mechanism further includes an actuator, one or more control channels, a cam-and-follower mechanism, one or more axial-contact members (140, 144, 150), and one or more angular-contact members (142, 146), wherein actuating the actuator relative to the control channels imparts rotational and axial forces on the positioning member, wherein the cam-and-follower mechanism selectively restricts rotational and axial motion of the positioning member to induce first-stage rotation, second-stage translation, and third-stage rotation, wherein the first-stage rotation rotates the axial-contact members from a non-interference position to an interference position relative to the forward-most lancing element, the second-stage translation advances the axial-contact members and the interfered-with forward-most lancing element, and the third-stage rotation rotates the angular-contact members and the forward-most lancing element to sever its breakaway connection to the multi-lancet chain to eject it from the lancing device.