Patent ID: 7938787

Claim:
A system for withdrawing body fluid from a body part via a withdrawal site located on the surface of the body part, the system comprising: a housing member; a plurality of penetrating members positioned in the housing member; a plurality of sample chambers, each of a sample chamber associated with a penetrating member, each of a sample chamber including at least one non-optical analyte detecting member coupled to a sample chamber; an electronic penetrating member driver coupled to and for driving each of the plurality of penetrating members; a penetrating member transport device for moving each of the plurality of penetrating members into a position for alignment with the penetrating member driver; and a processor configured to control the penetrating member driver and the penetrating member transport device to drive the plurality of penetrating members and determine that a penetrating member has contacted a skin surface prior to a lancing event and in response the processor adjusting a speed of the penetrating member or the power delivered to the penetrating member for skin penetration to maintain a desired penetration velocity of the penetrating member, the processor determining whether a distal end of the penetrating member has reached a brake depth to achieve a desired final penetration depth of the penetrating member, wherein the processor uses a determination of skin contact by the penetrating member as a consideration of skin tenting by the penetrating member, wherein skin tenting is used as a consideration factor for brake depth, wherein the processor determines whether a distal end of the penetrating member has reached a brake depth based on an amount of said skin tenting, wherein the brake depth is pre-determined and programmed into the processor or the processor dynamically determines the brake depth during actuation and the processor causes a braking force to be applied to penetrating, wherein the processor is configured to provide a time and position of tissue contact by the penetrating member.