Patent ID: 8062231

Claim:
A body fluid sampling system for use on a tissue site, the system comprising: a housing; an electrically powered drive force generator; a penetrating member operatively coupled to the electrically powered drive force generator, the electrically powered drive force generator moving the penetrating member along a path out of the housing having a penetrating member exit, into the tissue site, stopping in the tissue site, and withdrawing out of the tissue site following a predetermined velocity vs. position profile; a penetrating member sensor configured to monitor depth of penetration and velocity of the penetrating member; a processor coupled to the electrically powered drive force generator with program instructions that provide an input to the electrically powered drive force generator to control depth of penetration and velocity of the penetrating member to match the predetermined velocity vs. position profile via a feedback loop of the depth of penetration and velocity of the penetrating member from the penetrating member sensor; and a tissue stabilizing member associated with said housing and positioned to at least partially surround an impact location of the penetrating member on the tissue site wherein the tissue stabilizer member is configured to apply a force to a target tissue and cause the target tissue to press in an inward direction relative to the housing member.