Patent ID: 7927345

Claim:
A lancet cartridge comprising: (i) a U-shaped support comprising, a pair of anchor portions, a base portion, and a pair of deformable leg portions connecting the anchor portions to the base portion, wherein the pair of deformable leg portions change shape from an initial shape to an extended shape in response to an external applied force and recover to a retracted shape upon removal of the force, wherein the deformable leg portions extend from and retract toward their respective anchor portion, and (ii) a lancet, the lancet having a tip end, an opposing base end, and an axis extending between the tip end and the base end, wherein a portion of the lancet is disposed between the pair of deformable leg portions of the U-shaped support, wherein: the lancet is movable between a starting position, an extended puncturing position, and an ending position along the axis of the lancet in a path defined by the U-shaped support; when the lancet is in the starting position, the tip end of the lancet is disposed at least partially through the base portion of the U-shaped support, and the U-shaped support is in the initial shape; when the lancet is in the extended puncturing position, the tip end of the lancet is extended through the base of the U-shaped support, and the U-shaped support is in the extended shape; and when the U-shaped support recovers to its retracted shape upon removal of the force, the lancet is retracted to the end position by the recovery of the U-shaped support.