The present invention provides an automatic blood-sampling tube preparation device which can detect the presence of the proper or improper blood-sampling tube by selectively taking out a blood-sampling tube and transferring the blood-sampling tube to a label pasting position, printing information of the patient on a label, pasting the printed label on the blood-sampling tube positioned in the label pasting position, and collecting the label pasted blood-sampling tubes in the container for each patient. The device also includes photographing means for photographing an appearance of the blood-sampling tube taken out from the blood-sampling tube containing section and a control means arranged to have a threshold with respect to at least one characteristic information previously extracted from an appearance of a blood-sampling tube, to extract the characteristic information from the appearance image photographed to judge whether the blood-sampling tube corresponds to the instruction information from the doctor.

A lancing device (1) for taking blood samples comprises a housing (2), an axially displaceable lancet holder element (32) for holding a replaceable lancet (12), and a drive unit (30) comprising at least a lancing spring element (31) for driving the axially displaceable lancet holder element (32) in a lancing direction (18). The lancing device further comprises a tensioning carriage part (26) which can be fixed in a tensioning position (36) for tensioning the lancing spring element (31). The fixable tensioning carriage part (26) is temporarily axially fixed in this tensioning position (36) by means of a latching apparatus (35) which can be latched to the axially displaceable lancet holder element (32).