Patent ID: 7494498

Claim:
A lancing device comprising: a drive mechanism comprising a drive spring and a carrier driven by the drive spring; and a lancet that is decoupled from the drive mechanism and slidably floats relative to the carrier during at least a portion of a lancing stroke, further comprising a housing defining an axial chamber, wherein the carrier comprises: a carriage slidably received in the housing chamber, the carriage defining a bore that slidably receives the lancet; and one or more wings extending outwardly of the housing, wherein the lancing device is armed by retracting the wings to a cocked position with the carrier in a retracted position, further comprising one or more struts extending between the carriage and the wings, and projecting through one or more slots in the housing, wherein, after the lancing device is fired but before the lancet reaches an extended position, the carrier is stopped by the carrier struts engaging one or more stop surfaces defined by the housing slots.