Methods and apparatuses for performing an insertion process for a plurality of penetrating elements are described. For example, a wearable fluid infusion device may include a cannula and/or needle for infusing a fluid into a patient and a sensor for sensing a physical characteristic of the patient. A non-limiting example of a fluid may be or may include insulin. An illustrative and non-restrictive example of a physical characteristic may include a blood glucose level. The wearable infusion device may be configured to facilitate insertion of the multiple penetrating elements, such as a cannula and a sensor, in a single simultaneous insertion step instead of requiring individual insertion steps for each of multiple penetrating elements. Other embodiments are described.

Rotary microfluidic medical pump and pumping method embodiments are discussed herein that may include elements having an integrated set for establishing fluid communication with a patient's body. Such embodiments may be used for controlled delivery of small and precise volumes of therapeutic or non-therapeutic medical fluids to a patient in a variety of environmental conditions.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods for causing the linear translation of a plunger through a reservoir containing a fluid. A flexible member, for example, a wire or a ribbon, is coupled to the plunger and extends through a wall of the reservoir toward which the plunger is being linearly translated. A pulling force on the flexible member caused by a drive mechanism causes the plunger to linearly translate toward the end wall of the reservoir, thereby forcing any fluid contained in the reservoir out of the reservoir through a fluid port.

A drug delivery device includes a housing, a fluid reservoir received within the housing, a drive assembly configured to dispense fluid from the fluid reservoir, a needle hub actuator attached to the housing, and a needle hub at least partially received by the housing. The needle hub includes a hub body, a needle holder with a needle attached to the needle holder, and a cannula holder with a cannula attached to the cannula holder. The needle hub actuator is configured to move the needle holder and the cannula holder from a retracted position where the needle and the cannula are positioned within the hub body to an insertion position where the needle and the cannula are positioned within the hub body. The needle hub is detachable from the housing.