The Tenderlett lancet was made for single use in a lancing device. It is contained within itself, so there is no special procedure needed for operation. The Tenderlett is different in that there is a very small blade that is used to make a small incision in the finger. The incision is done to lessen any pain and prevent possible tissue damage.
The Tenderlett brand of lancets offered three different type of lancets with different measurements of incision:
- The Tenderlett – The incision is 1.75mm and there is little indenting of the skin because the device was in the shape of the finger.
- The Tenderlett Jr. – The incision is 1.25mm and you would know it by its white case and blue trigger. This lancet device was used for children.
- The Tenderlett Toddler – The incision is 0.85mm and you would know it by its white case and pink trigger. This lancet device was used for toddlers and older infants.
The lancets are easily identifiable because they are color-coded.
For diabetic children, the Tenderlett lancet was considered the most costly of the lancets on the market. It was a little difficult for young children to use because it required at least four pounds of pressure is used to activate it. This was more suited for adults and older children to administer.
You can be safe using the Tenderlett lancet. There is minimal risk of someone accidentally getting stuck by the lancet, because recapping of the lancet is not needed. The tip of the lancet stays inside the plastic case. This lancing device can be used just about anywhere, including outside and on recreational trips.
In addition to that, the International Technidyne Corporation, which manufactured the Tenderlett lancet device, was chosen by NASA to use their products. The Tenderlett brand was lifted into space with astronauts during the Atlantis I space mission.
NASA wanted to use blood glucose testing as part of a test they were doing. This test consisted of the amount of energy the astronauts used during their time in space. They chose the Tenderlett brand because it was known to help diabetics experience less pain.
Other lancet incision devices proved no match to the Tenderlett devices. Another reason why NASA chose Tenderlett over some of the other brands is because of the blood flow.
The Tenderlett devices were proven to provide proper blood flow in the body. Armed with this, NASA determined it to be a good fit because they knew that blood flow in the body would sometimes pose a conflict with weight during their space mission.
When using these lancets, they didn’t pose much of a problem with blood flow. Due to the way the incision was made, the diabetic was assured of a blood sampling provided the procedure was done correctly. Your finger would be cut at the right length as indicated on the lancet information.
However, the Tenderlett Jr. and Toddler is no longer available for children as of September 2007. The only brand that is currently on the market is the Tenderlett lancing device for adults.
