Patent ID: 7648468

Claim:
A body fluid sampling system for use on a tissue site, the system comprising: an electrically powered drive force generator; a penetrating member operatively coupled to said electrically powered drive force generator and to a processor, said electrically powered drive force generator moving said penetrating member along a path out of a housing having a penetrating member exit, into said tissue site, stopping in said tissue site, and withdrawing out of said tissue site, the processor causing an electronic braking force to be applied to the penetrating member to reduce a speed of the penetrating member to achieve a desired amount of final skin penetration depth; a disposable housing said penetrating member, said disposable having a first and a second seal coupled to said penetrating member to maintain a sterile environment around a portion of the penetration member prior to penetrating member actuation; an analyte detecting member coupled to a sample chamber, the analyte detecting member being configured to determine a concentration of an analyte in a body fluid using a sample that does not exceed a volume of 1 μL of a body fluid disposed in the sample chamber; a penetrating member sensor coupled to said electrically powered force generator and provide depth penetration control of a penetrating member from a known start position, the penetrating member sensor being coupled to a processor with a memory that stores profiles which execute control instructions for the penetrating member driver, for application of a launching force to the penetrating member and control a withdraw force to the penetrating member so that the penetrating member moves in a second direction away from the target tissue, the processor coupled to an amplifier to modulate power from a power supply to the electrically powered drive force generator and through a transducer measure location of the penetrating member with the penetrating member sensor; and wherein in the first direction the penetrating member moves toward the target tissue at a speed that is different than a speed at which the penetrating member moves away from the target tissue.