Drug delivery systems with reduced hold-up volumes are provided. The drug delivery systems include a cartridge configured to hold a liquid drug. A cartridge stopper is positioned in a first portion of the cartridge. A needle guide component is positioned within the cartridge stopper. A needle is positioned within a central opening of the needle guide. A plunger is positioned in a second portion of the cartridge. The plunger includes a fluid path pocket facing and aligned with the central opening of the needle guide component. The plunger is driven toward the cartridge stopper to expel the liquid drug from the cartridge through the needle. An end of the needle can be positioned within the fluid path pocket when the plunger is pushed against the cartridge stopper, ensuring that only a small volume of the liquid drug remains in the cartridge when delivery of the liquid drug is completed.

A needle assembly for use with a drug delivery device comprises a cap releasably secured to the drug delivery device and a blocking member. The blocking member comprises a disinfectant swab and a user graspable portion. The blocking member is configured to be physically moved with respect to the needle assembly by a user. The needle assembly is configured such that in an initial position, the blocking member blocks the cap from being removed from the drug delivery device and movement of the blocking member from the initial position causes the disinfectant swab to contact a septum of a cartridge retained within the drug delivery device.

The disclosure relates to a sensor arrangement for an injection device to determine an axial position of at least one device component of the injection device inside a housing of the injection device. The sensor arrangement includes an elongated member located inside the housing, extending in an axial direction and having at least a first section and a second section of different magnetization. The first and second sections are separated in the axial direction. The sensor arrangement also includes at least one magnetic sensor element attached to the housing to detect the axial position of at least one of the first and second sections.

An injector (10) for injecting a medicament into a patient. The injector includes a container (18) defining a first chamber (22), which contains a fluid therein, and a second chamber (23). The injector also includes an injection conduit (126) configured for directing the fluid fired from the container into the patient. A transfer mechanism is operable by a user to transfer the fluid from the first chamber to the second chamber in a first stage of operation, and a firing mechanism is operable by the user for firing the fluid from the second chamber through the injection conduit in a second stage of operation. An energy source (62) is in powering association with the firing mechanism to drive firing mechanism in the first and second stages.

An injector device includes a housing for receiving a medicament cartridge; a needle unit comprising a needle; and a first sleeve slideable along a longitudinal axis of the housing from a first position, in which the first sleeve conceals the needle, to a second position, in which the needle is exposed from an end of the first sleeve, the first sleeve configured to engage the needle unit so that, during use, movement of the first sleeve from the first position to the second position moves the needle unit from a primary position to a secondary position, in which secondary position the needle unit locates over an end of a medicament cartridge, wherein the device further comprises a second sleeve arranged to move telescopically with respect to the first sleeve, the first sleeve extending from the second sleeve when the first sleeve is in the first position.

An add-on device for a drug delivery device comprises a camera for capturing an image of a scale drum, and a processor for determining the value of a captured image using a first image analysis process, the value corresponding to a set dose amount. If the determined value belongs to a pre-defined group of values, the determined value is confirmed using a second image analysis process in which for a given value from the pre-defined group of values one or more partial image areas and an associated nominal content thereof are pre-defined. If the captured content for each image area corresponds to the nominal content, the determined value is confirmed.

A drug self-delivery device comprising a body portion containing a drug vial and a needle assembly, where the body portion is slidably engaged to a trigger portion. When engaged by a user pressing the trigger portion against the user's flesh, the needle assembly relative to the drug vial so as to align a needle port with an integral drug delivery port connected to the drug vial thereby allowing fluid flow of medication through the needle. Seals engaged by a penetration spring prevent loss of medication and prevent the need for direct connection between the needle assembly and the drug vial.

A drug delivery system for injecting a medicament may include a housing defining a cavity, a container received within the cavity and configured to receive a medicament with the container including a closure, a valve assembly received within the cavity and including a piercing member configured to pierce the closure of the container, and a connector arrangement provided between the container and the valve assembly, the connector arrangement movable between a first, pre-use position maintaining sterility between the closure of the container and the valve assembly and a second, use position permitting fluid communication between the container and the valve assembly.

An injection needle assembly (50) for an injection device, comprising: a) a needle cannula (3) attached to a needle hub (4) and defining a pointed tip at a free end (3a, 3b), and b) a needle cover (10, 10a, 10b) forming an axially extending elongated flexible enclosure accommodating the needle cannula (3). The needle cover (10, 10a, 10b) is configured to axially collapse and become penetrated by the needle cannula (3) when a penetration force is applied to the needle cover. The needle cover (10, 10a, 10b) defines a shaft section (11a) and a bulb section (11b). The shaft section (11a) encircles the needle cannula (3) and extends axially from the needle hub (4) to the bulb section (11b). The shaft section (11a) comprises wall areas of minimum wall thickness t.sub.1 whereas the bulb section (11b) comprises wall areas (17a, 17b) having a wall thickness t.sub.2 larger than said minimum wall thickness t.sub.1. The shaft section (11a) comprises one or more reinforcing ribs (16), each reinforcing rib extending non-parallel to the needle axis so as to at least partly encircle the needle cannula (3), wherein each reinforcing rib (16) divides adjoining annular collapse regions (15) of the shaft section (11a).

An apparatus for transferring a chosen quantity of medication from a vial to a container under sterile conditions is described. The present invention further facilitates dissolving solid medications contained in the vial or diluting concentrated medications contained in the vial, and transferring the resulting solutions to the container. The container may be an intravenous infuser.