Gerresheimer Newsletter Reports on Development of Fifth-Generation Lancing Device

A revamped lancing device for a blood sugar measurement system contains a band with test fields for 50 tests instead of individual test strips and can be docked onto a measurement device. Patients benefit from the combined pricking and measurement functions. The development of this fifth-generation device is described in the premier edition of the Gerresheimer Update, a newsletter showcasing the global capabilities of the supplier of advanced glass and plastic products to the healthcare industry.

Gerresheimer Regensburg GmbH met demanding challenges in developing the device. For example, the lancet magazine for the new generation of lancing devices was reduced by nearly half but it had to hold the same number of lancets as the previous generation, notes the article. Consequently, the specifications called for very tight tolerances and thin wall thicknesses that would not jeopardise function or component stability. Snap fitting the components was no longer an option; instead, the company turned to laser welding.

The lancing device is composed of 19 plastic parts and three steel springs. The magazine described above includes six individual lancets, a drum and sleeve. Both products are manufactured at the Gerresheimer plant in Pfreimd, Germany, using a fully automated line in an ISO Class 8 cleanroom, and they are assembled at another Gerresheimer plant in the Czech Republic.

To learn more about this and other Gerresheimer news, download a pdf of the newsletter from the Gerresheimer website.

Tags: assembly, Gerresheimer, lancing device