Patent ID: 8388639

Claim:
A lancing device, comprising: an outer housing ( 10 , 11 ), said outer housing ( 10 , 11 ) having a forward portion ( 14 ) hingeable with respect to a remainder thereof between an open position in which there is access to a lancet holder ( 22 ), and a closed position ready for lancing, the hingeable forward portion ( 14 ) being latchable ( 46 , 48 ) in said closed position; a drive shaft ( 20 ) disposed in the housing for movement between a rearward and a forward position, said drive shaft having the lancet holder ( 22 ) at a forward end for receiving in use a lancet ( 24 ); a drive spring urging ( 28 ) said drive shaft in a forward direction, a latch arrangement ( 30 , 34 ) for latching said drive shaft in a rearward cocked position with the drive spring energised; a trigger ( 18 ) for unlatching said drive shaft from its rearward position; and a cocking/ejecting element having an externally accessible manually operable portion ( 62 ) and being arranged to be moveable in the rearward direction to cock the drive shaft, the cocking/ejecting element ( 66 ) further being operable ( 82 ) to eject a lancet from the lancet holder, and said cocking/ejecting element ( 66 ) has an unlatching element ( 68 ) disposed to unlatch said hingeable forward portion ( 14 ) when said cocking/ejecting element moved forwardly.