Patent ID: 7955347

Claim:
A lancing device, comprising: a housing comprising a guide structure and first engagement means; a lancet mounted within the housing in sliding engagement with the guide structure of the housing, the lancet having a lancet body, a puncturing tip extending therefrom and first and second protrusions on opposed sides of the lancet body, wherein the lancet travels through a lancing stroke from a ready position within the housing to a fully extended position with the tip extending out of the housing, and back to a retracted position within the housing; a control assembly comprising second engagement means for releasably engaging with the first engagement means of the housing, and releasing from engagement upon application of a threshold force to propel the lancet along the lancing stroke, the control assembly further comprising an opposed pair of resilient lancet control fingers, each of the lancet control fingers defining a notched section for releasably engaging one of the first and second protrusions of the lancet body, and an angled retraction section; wherein the opposed pair of resilient lancet control fingers flex to release the first and second protrusions of the lancet body from the notched sections thereof upon the lancet reaching the fully extended position, and the angled retraction section thereupon acts on the first and second ramped protrusions of the lancet body to retract the lancet tip back into the housing.