A lancing system can include a device body having a lancing end and a free end, a lancing shaft having an actuating end, a stop coupled to the body, a lancing spring coupled to the lancing shaft, a main shaft having an actuating end, and a shaft coupler having at least two separable portions for removably coupling the lancing shaft to the main shaft, wherein a first portion is coupled to the actuating end of the lancing shaft and a second portion is coupled to the actuating end of the main shaft. A method of extracting blood can include coupling the actuating end of the main shaft to the actuating end of the lancing shaft, moving the lancing shaft toward the free end of the device body, stopping the lancing shaft, uncoupling the actuating ends, and moving the lancing shaft toward a surface to be lanced.
