Patent ID: 7351212

Claim:
A method, comprising: placing a housing of a bodily fluid sampling device against a surface of skin, wherein the housing of the bodily fluid sampling device houses an integrated lancet/sampling device that includes a casing that defines a cavity in which a lancet is slidably received and test media disposed along the cavity, wherein the cavity has a cavity opening; forming an incision in the skin with the integrated lancet/sampling device, wherein said forming the incision includes controlling penetration depth of the lancet into the skin by pressing with the bodily fluid sampling device the casing at the cavity opening of the integrated lancet/sampling device against the skin to create a reference surface upon which the penetration depth of the lancet is based, and puncturing the incision in the skin with the lancet by further pressing the integrated lancet/sampling device against the skin to extend the lancet from the cavity opening of the casing into the skin; retracting the casing at the cavity opening from the skin to a retracted position with the bodily fluid sampling device after said forming the incision to reduce premature closure of the incision, wherein at the retracted position the lancet is removed from the incision and the casing of the integrated lancet/sampling device no longer contacts the skin; moving the cavity opening of the integrated lancet/sampling device towards the skin with the bodily fluid sampling device to a collection position where the integrated lancet/sampling device is able to collect body fluid from the incision; collecting the body fluid from the incision with the integrated lancet/sampling device at the collection position by drawing the body fluid from the surface of the skin into the cavity through the cavity opening and onto the test media; wherein the housing of the bodily fluid sampling remains against the skin during said forming, said retracting, said moving, and said collecting; wherein the bodily fluid sampling device includes a motor coupled to a firing mechanism; wherein said forming the incision in the skin includes cocking the firing mechanism with the motor, and firing the integrated lancet/sampling device with the firing mechanism; and wherein said moving the cavity opening includes positioning the integrated lancet/sampling device towards the skin with the motor.