Patent ID: 8657763

Claim:
A vacuum assisted lancing system for blood extraction, comprising: a tubular body having a central longitudinal axis, a lancing end and a free end; a lancing mechanism coupled with the body and including a lance coupler configured to removably couple with a lance; a vacuum mechanism coupled with the body and including a piston slideably coupled within the body so that a vacuum chamber is formed between the piston and the lancing end of the body; a release mechanism configured to selectively hold the vacuum mechanism in an energized state; an opening through a wall of the body between the piston and the lancing end of the body that allows fluid communication back and forth between the vacuum chamber and an atmosphere surrounding the body; and at least one spring configured to simultaneously move both the lance coupler and the piston in an initial direction toward the free end of the body upon the release mechanism being activated to release the vacuum mechanism from the energized state and create a vacuum in the vacuum chamber, and thereafter move the lance coupler in a second direction toward the lancing end of the body.