Automatic retractable lancet assembly

Claim 1

An automatic retractable lancet assembly comprising: a housing having an aperture; a lancet movably mounted in said housing with its point lying substantially adjacent the interior side of said aperture; a first spring mounted inside said housing in a substantially relaxed condition adapted to be compressed in a biased condition and further adapted to decompress upon release to cause the movement of said lancet outward of said aperture for penetration of the skin of a patient, said first spring adapted to become dissociated from further movement of said lancet after said lancet completes its outward movement; actuating means for compressing said first spring into a biased condition and for retaining same until use, and for releasing same to cause the outward movement of said lancet; said actuating means including a slidable member through said housing associated with said first spring and including a latching means so that said first spring is compressible by movement of said slidable member and is retained in position by cooperation with said latching means; said slidable member being adapted to be forcibly removed from said assembly upon decompression of said first spring so that said first spring cannot be reloaded for a subsequent operation; and a second spring mounted inside said housing in a substantially relaxed condition before said first spring is released and adapted to become biased when said first spring becomes dissociated from further movement of said lancet to cause said lancet to be automatically retracted back inside said housing.