Patent ID: 8016848

Claim:
A lancet for insertion into and ejection from a lancing device, comprising: a unitary elongated body having a needle terminating in a sharp tip extending directly from a lancing end of the elongated body; a sleeve having a front end and a rear end, the sleeve being fixedly disposed about at least a portion of the elongated body and movable relative to the elongated body when the elongated body is held stationary between a forward position in which the sharp tip is protectively surrounded by the sleeve and a rearward position in which the sharp tip projects from the front end of the sleeve; and a first locking member extending directly from the elongated body at a location intermediate the forward and rearward positions, the first locking member having an extended configuration in which the first locking member extends from the elongated body and contacts a most rearward surface of the rear end of the sleeve to prevent the sleeve from moving to the rearward position, and a retracted configuration in which the first locking member is retracted toward the elongated body and does not engage the sleeve to prevent the sleeve from moving to the rearward position; wherein at least a portion of an interior of the sleeve is configured to contain the first locking member in the retracted configuration when the sleeve moves over the first locking member, and wherein the first locking member is in the extended configuration engaging the most rearward surface prior to and during both insertion of the lancet into the lancing device and ejection of the lancet from the lancing device; further comprising a second locking member axially spaced from the first locking member between the first locking member and the sharp tip, wherein the second locking member is of a geometry that is less flexible than a geometry of the first locking member.