Apparatus is described for administering a substance to a subject. A vial contains the substance and a stopper is disposed within the vial and is slidably coupled to the vial. A first threaded element is (a) rotatable with respect to the vial and (b) substantially immobile proximally with respect to the vial during rotation of the first threaded element. A second threaded element is threadedly coupled to the first threaded element. At least a distal end of the second threaded element is substantially non-rotatable with respect to the vial, and the distal end of the second threaded element defines a coupling portion that couples the second threaded element to the stopper. The first threaded element, by rotating, linearly advances the stopper and at least the distal end of the second threaded element toward a distal end of the vial. Other embodiments are also described.

A wearable drug delivery device includes an injector having a housing, a reservoir, a needle or cannula, a drive mechanism for urging drug product out of the reservoir, through the needle or cannula, and to a patient, and an activator mechanism disposed on a surface of the housing for activating the drive mechanism. An activation prevention mechanism is coupled to the injector housing and/or activation prevention mechanism to prevent inadvertent actuation of the activator mechanism.

A syringe assembly for a drug delivery device. The syringe assembly includes a syringe barrel having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis. A needle assembly is operatively coupled to the syringe barrel and includes a needle hub and a needle attached to the needle hub. A flexible connection is disposed between the syringe barrel and the needle hub and forms a fluid pathway between the syringe barrel and the needle. The flexible connection enables the needle assembly to be moveable from a filling position, in which a longitudinal axis of the needle assembly is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the syringe barrel, to an assembled position, in which the longitudinal axis of the needle assembly is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the syringe barrel.

An injection sensing device (ISD) (e.g., wearable patch) is paired with an external device (e.g., a medication delivery pen and/or smart phone, iPad, computer) via wireless link or wireline connection. The ISD senses fluctuations in local skin temperature during an injection and provides to the external device captured data from the sensor relating to medicine delivery to a patient to ensure complete delivery and minimize MDD misuse or malfunction or inaccuracies in dosing. The ISD or external device can use captured data and corresponding time stamps to determine flow informatics such as flow rate, total dose delivered, and dose completion status. An LED on the ISD indicates delivery in progress and/or delivery completion.

An automatic injection device with flow regulation is disclosed. The automatic injection device has an insertion needle configured to be inserted into a patient and a drug container which contains a pharmaceutical product and includes a plunger. The automatic injection device also has a fluid path which fluidly connects the drug container to the patient via the insertion needle, a potential energy source, and a regulator configured to restrict release of potential energy and restrict linear movement of the plunger and the pharmaceutical product into the fluid path at a proscribed pace. The regulator includes a clock escapement mechanism. The potential energy source may be a spring that surrounds the drug container and may be magnetically coupled to the plunger. The clock escapement mechanism is configured to control the spring at a regulated rate over a time interval using a gearbox and a rotational-to-linear translator comprising a rack and a pinion.

Methods and devices for accurately pumping small quantities of liquid to a patient with a broad range of flow and low cost.

A sensor system capable of detecting tissue counter pressure from patients that utilize infusion pumps to administer their medication is provided. Embodiments include a retrofitted piece that is placed between the user's infusion set and pump, as well as a “smart” infusion set configured for measuring characteristics of a fluid traveling therethrough. Hardware is provided that couples with the sensor to store, analyze, and compare data to distinguish between normal and non-normal injection/infusion profiles. An alert system notifies the user of a malfunction within the pump, within the infusion set, or at the injection/infusion site.

A drug delivery device has a housing with an adhesive pad associated with the lower surface of the housing and configured to removably attach to a human body surface. A deformable drug reservoir is positioned within the housing and includes an outlet, with a needle fluidically connected to the drug reservoir and configured to define at least a portion of a fluid flow path between the drug reservoir and said human body surface. A delivery assembly is associated with the drug reservoir and includes a roller and a drive assembly, with the drive assembly being controlled by the controller during a drug delivery routine to move the roller from a first position to a second position so as to cause the roller to contact and deform the reservoir, thereby conveying a drug from the reservoir via the outlet.

Various exemplary liquid drug pumps including user feedback indicating pump orientation are provided. In general, a pump configured to deliver a liquid drug to a patient includes a user interface configured to indicate an orientation of the pump. The pump also includes a reservoir configured to contain the drug therein, a conduit configured to receive the drug therein from the reservoir, a needle or cannula in fluid communication with the conduit and configured to deliver the drug therethrough to a patient wearing the pump, a fluid path fluidly connecting the reservoir and the needle or cannula, and a pumping assembly configured to pump the fluid through the fluid path from the reservoir to the needle or cannula. The user interface indicating the pump's orientation allows a user of the pump to know whether or not the pump is in a desired orientation for delivery of the drug to the patient.

Needle insertion mechanisms include a housing and a needle holder, the needle holder being linearly guided by the housing to be moved along the needle-axis. A slider linearly guided by the housing and transversally moveable with respect to the needle-axis from a first to a second slider position. The needle holder is operatively coupled to the slider when the slider is in the first position, thereby retaining the needle holder in a retracted position against the bias of a spring acting on the needle holder. In the second position the slider is decoupled from the needle holder and the holder is moved into an inserted position by the spring. A blocking member arranged between the slider and the housing blocking movement of the slider into the second position, is moved by an active drive thereby unblocking the movement of the slider and subsequently moving the slider to the second position.