Blood Lancets
Blood lancets are patient lancing devices used to collect capillary blood for diagnostic testing or to perform bleeding time tests. Explore a variety of devices, including blood glucose lancets in a range of styles, gauges, and lengths.
What Are Lancing Devices?
Intended for single use, blood lancets have small double-edged blades or needles that puncture the skin to a specific depth. They include simple stainless-steel blades designed for manual use and spring-loaded devices that help control the speed and depth of the puncture. Many mechanical versions also automatically retract the needle or blade for safety and may have a locking feature to prevent re-use.
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Lancets for Heelsticks
Heelsticks are the preferred method for collecting blood from newborns and infants up to about six months of age and are performed with a blood lancet. The depth of the puncture should not exceed 0.85 mm for preterm or 1 mm for full-term neonates. The puncture should be made on the medial or lateral plantar surface of the heel to avoid accidental contact with or penetration of the capsule of the heel bone, which can cause osteomyelitis or infection.
Lancets for Fingersticks
Fingerstick collection with a blood lancet can minimize the stress and pain of venous blood draws, especially for children, those with anxiety about needles, elderly or frail patients, and those who require frequent blood specimen collections. However, the volume of blood collected via fingerstick ranges from 5 to 30 µL, which may not be sufficient for some testing methods.
Capillary blood specimens collected from heelsticks or fingersticks are often used to:
- Monitor blood glucose levels (performed frequently by diabetic patients using blood glucose lancets)
- Test for infectious mononucleosis
- Measure hemoglobin levels (screening to determine the suitability of blood donors)
- Screen newborns for phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, galactosemia, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and many other congenital conditions
Patient Lancets for Bleeding Times
A bleeding time involves cutting the underside of the forearm with an automatic device to a standardized width and depth. A blood pressure cuff above the wound is used to maintain a specific venous pressure. The blood is blotted away periodically until the bleeding stops completely, which usually takes from three to ten minutes. Even when using a specific device to produce the puncture, the test is difficult to standardize and is somewhat unreliable.