A non-coring needle for use in accessing an implanted medical device is disclosed. The non-coring needle is configured so as to include a compact bevel face relative to standard non-coring needles. In one embodiment, the non-coring needle comprises a hollow cannula that defines a lumen and terminates at a sharpened distal tip. The cannula includes a proximal portion and a bent distal portion. The distal portion defines a bevel face extending proximally from the distal tip, and the bevel face includes the lumen distal opening. The bevel face defines an open angle of at least about one degree with respect to a longitudinal axis of the proximal portion of the cannula. The bevel face is also laterally offset from the proximal portion of the cannula by an offset distance of no more than about 0.010 inch. A portion of the bevel face is dulled to prevent access port septum coring.

A cassette for use with an injector has a housing, and a cassette identification arrangement (cassette ID) defining a code containing information about the cassette that is detectable and decipherable by an injector. The cassette may further have a sleeve movably disposed within the housing, for holding a drug container, and a locking arrangement for interlocking the sleeve with the housing. The cassette may further have an aperture in the housing, and a cassette cap for removing a needle shield of the drug container. The cassette may have an anti-bending structure to prevent bending or flexing of the cassette cap. The injector may have a processor for controlling operational parameters of the injector and a detector communicatively coupled with the processor for detecting and communicating the cassette ID to the microprocessor to decipher the code defined therein. Also, a method of injecting a drug into a patient with an injector, wherein the sequence of actions performed by the user are controlled. Still further, a method of treating a patient in need thereof wherein a cassette containing a drug is provided and administered to the patient using an injector.

Implantable ports used for intravenous administration and methods of using the same.

Infusion devices and methods are provided for a drug delivery system and can include an infusion needle (1) having a tip end (2) and a drive unit (D) coupled to the infusion needle and arranged for advancing the tip end of the infusion needle to penetrate any fibrosis when the infusion device is implanted in a patient's body. The infusion needle and drive unit are designed for implantation in a patient's body. Other components of the drug delivery system may be part of the implantable infusion device or, alternatively, be for extracorporal use cooperating with the implanted infusion device. Preferably, the infusion needle can be advanced and retracted with each infusion cycle. Furthermore, upon each advancement and/or retraction, the needle may be moved laterally so as to vary the injection site. Needle (1) and drive unit (D) are preferably disposed within a body (15), with the infusion needle being arranged for penetrating a self-sealing penetration membrane (18).

Infusion devices and methods are provided for a drug delivery system and can include an infusion needle (1) having a tip end (2) and a drive unit (D) coupled to the infusion needle and arranged for advancing the tip end of the infusion needle to penetrate any fibrosis when the infusion device is implanted in a patient's body. The infusion needle and drive unit are designed for implantation in a patient's body. Other components of the drug delivery system may be part of the implantable infusion device or, alternatively, be for extracorporal use cooperating with the implanted infusion device. Preferably, the infusion needle can be advanced and retracted with each infusion cycle. Furthermore, upon each advancement and/or retraction, the needle may be moved laterally so as to vary the injection site. Needle (1) and drive unit (D) are preferably disposed within a body (15), with the infusion needle being arranged for penetrating a self-sealing penetration membrane (18).

A non-coring needle for use in accessing an implanted medical device is disclosed. The non-coring needle is configured to include a compact bevel face relative to standard non-coring needles. In one embodiment, the non-coring needle comprises a hollow cannula that defines a lumen and terminates at a sharpened distal tip. The cannula includes a proximal portion and a bent distal portion. The distal portion defines a bevel face extending proximally from the distal tip, and the bevel face includes the lumen distal opening. The bevel face defines an open angle of at least about one degree with respect to a longitudinal axis of the proximal portion of the cannula. The bevel face is also laterally offset from the proximal portion of the cannula by an offset distance of no more than about 0.010 inch. A portion of the bevel face is dulled to prevent access port septum coring.

An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall. A method can involve injection/infusion of the ablative fluid over an extended time period of at least 10 seconds or with two injections at two different penetration depths to reduce or eliminate patient pain during ablation.

The invention relates to an automatic drug delivery device (10), in particular automatic drug delivery device, for dispensing a fluid product, in particular a fluid medicament, including: a longitudinal housing (104) extending along a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end close to the dispensing site, a distal end opposite to the proximal end and a hollow interior; a removable cap (50) mountable to the proximal end of the housing (104); a syringe assembly (200) arranged a mounting position inside the housing (104) and having a hollow syringe body (204) and an injection needle (206) coupled to the hollow syringe body (204) including the fluid product; a drive mechanism (300) which can be triggered by a trigger element in order to initiate the dispensing of the fluid product; wherein the loaded drive mechanism is operatively coupled with a safety shield (102) movable within the longitudinal housing (104), wherein the safety shield (102) is biased into a proximal position in which it protrudes out of the proximal end of the longitudinal housing (104) in order to cover a needle tip (348) of the injection needle (206), and wherein the safety shield (104) is movable into a distal position in which the injection needle (206) is exposed for injection; wherein the syringe assembly is provided with a needle shield fixed to a proximal end of the hollow syringe body and covering the needle together with its sharpened needle tip; wherein the removable cap includes a flexible gripping element for engaging the needle shield on its outer circumferential surface such that removal of the removable cap results in removal of the needle shield, the flexible gripping element having a greater diameter than a proximal end of the safety shield.

The invention relates to an automatic drug delivery device (10), in particular automatic drug delivery device, for dispensing a fluid product, in particular a fluid medicament, including: •a longitudinal housing (104) •a removable cap (50) •a syringe assembly (200) •a drive mechanism (300) •wherein the loaded drive mechanism is operatively coupled with a safety shield (102) movable within the longitudinal housing (104), •wherein the safety shield (102) is biased into a proximal position in which it protrudes out of the proximal end of the longitudinal housing (104) in order to cover a needle tip (348) of the injection needle (206), and wherein the safety shield (104) is movable into a distal position in which the injection needle (206) is exposed for injection; •wherein the longitudinal housing provides an inner receiving component fixed thereto for receiving a syringe holder and providing a predetermined radial and axial position of the syringe holder within the longitudinal housing; •wherein the syringe assembly is a first syringe assembly and is received within the longitudinal housing by a first syringe holder, wherein the first syringe holder provides an interface between the longitudinal housing and the syringe assembly; and •wherein the longitudinal housing and receiving component is sized and configured to be able to receive a second syringe holder and a second syringe assembly, the second syringe assembly having a different diameter than the first syringe assembly.

The invention relates to an automatic drug delivery device (10), in particular automatic drug delivery device, for dispensing a fluid product, in particular a fluid medicament, including: a longitudinal housing (104) extending along a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end close to the dispensing site, a distal end opposite to the proximal end and a hollow interior; a removable cap (50) mountable to the proximal end of the housing (104); a syringe assembly (200) arranged a mounting position inside the housing (104) and having a hollow syringe body (204) and an injection needle (206) coupled to the hollow syringe body (204) including the fluid product; a drive mechanism (300) which can be triggered by a trigger element in order to initiate the dispensing of the fluid product; wherein the loaded drive mechanism is operatively coupled with a safety shield (102) movable within the longitudinal housing (104), wherein the safety shield (102) is biased into a proximal position in which it protrudes out of the proximal end of the longitudinal housing (104) in order to cover a needle tip (348) of the injection needle (206), and wherein the safety shield (104) is movable into a distal position which the injection needle (206) is exposed for injection; wherein the removable cap is axially retained on the proximal end of the longitudinal housing by engagement of retaining elements between the cap and the longitudinal housing, the retaining elements being disengaged by rotation of the cap relative to the longitudinal housing to allow axial movement of the cap relative to the housing to remove said cap, the axial movement of the cap relative to the housing being supported by the biasing force applied to the safety shield.