Patent ID: 7288102

Claim:
A lancing device for puncturing skin, comprising: a lancet movable between a retracted position and an extended position; a drive member that is forwardly movable to impact the lancet to drive the lancet forward from the retracted position toward the extended position; and a drive member stop member that stops the forward travel of the drive member before the lancet reaches the extended position, wherein the drive member stop member does not stop the forward travel of the lancet and the lancet decouples from the drive member and continues moving forward under its own momentum toward the extended position after the drive member is stopped by the drive member stop member, wherein the drive member is decoupled from the lancet from before the lancet reaches the extended position at least until the lancet is in the extended position so that the mass of the drive member is not bearing on the lancet when the lancet punctures the skin.