Patent ID: 7524293

Claim:
A body fluid sampling system for use on a tissue site, the system comprising: a single drive force generator; a housing including a plurality of analyte sensors and a plurality of sample chambers, each of an analyte sensor being associated with a sample chamber; each analyte sensor and associated sample chamber positioned and sized to receive body fluid from a wound in tissue created by a penetrating member; a plurality of penetrating members operatively coupled to said force generator, said force generator moving each of said members along a path out of the housing into the tissue site, stopping in the tissue site, and withdrawing out of said tissue site; a flexible support member coupling the penetrating members at the flexible support member to form an array of penetrating members and positioned to move each of said penetrating members to a launch position associated with said force generator; each of a penetrating member at least partially positioned adjacent to an analyte sensor in a sample chamber that does not exceed 1 μL, each sample chamber positioned to receive body fluid from a wound in tissue created by a penetrating member, and each analyte sensor interacting with the body fluid to determine analyte levels; and a penetrating member sensor positioned to monitor a penetrating member coupled to said force generator, the penetrating member sensor in communication with a processor providing information relative to a depth of penetration of a penetrating member through a skin surface; wherein the penetrating member sensor and the processor providing an indication of velocity of a penetrating member.