Patent ID: 8512367

Claim:
A fluid-sampling device for penetrating skin, comprising: a housing having a blade opening; a blade having a sharp edge with a tip that travels along a travel path from a retracted position shielded within the housing to an extended position extending through the blade opening to penetrate the skin; a dual-link drive mechanism including a blade link arm coupled to the blade, a rotary drive link arm that is pivotally coupled to and drives the blade arm, and a cam-and-follower guide mechanism that guides movement of the blade arm, wherein the drive arm and the cam-and-follower mechanism cooperatively drive and guide the blade arm to propel the blade tip along the travel path in a rotational and translating motion, wherein the cam-and-follower mechanism includes a non-linear cam surface and a cam follower that is guided by the non-linear cam surface; and a trigger operable to actuate the drive mechanism to propel the blade tip along the travel path; wherein as the drive arm rotationally drives the blade arm, the blade arm rotates about the cam follower as the cam follower is translationally guided along the non-linear cam surface in a non-linear path to convert the rotary motion of the rotary drive arm to the rotational and translating motion of the blade tip.