Importance

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Abstract

A low cost lancet device for creating a skin incision. The lancet contains a unistructurally formed plastic body, thereby making the lancet device easy to manufacture at low cost. The plastic body contains a resilient spring loop that attaches an arm element to an opposing base element. The spring loop is curved, therefore the arm element is retained above the base element by the spring loop. A blade is disposed on the arm element. The blade aligns with a slot in the base element so that when the spring loop is compressed, and the arm element is moved toward the base element, the blade extends through the slot in the base element. A protrusion extends from the base element that obstructs the movement of the arm element toward the base element. As a result, when a force is applied to the arm element, the arm element abuts against the protrusion and applies a bias to the protrusion that acts to displace the protrusion. When a predetermined threshold force is applied to the arm element, the arm element moves past the obstructing protrusion and the arm element rapidly moves toward the base element, compressing the spring loop. As the arm element approaches the base element, the blade on the arm element extends through the slot in the base element and creates the desired incision. Once the applied force is removed from the arm element, the bias of the spring loop moves the arm element away from the base element, thereby retracting the blade back through the slot in the base element.

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First Claim