Automated sequential injection and blood draw

Abstract

Devices are provided to automatically inject drugs or other payloads into or beneath skin. These devices include an injector configured to drive a hollow needle into the skin and subsequently to deliver the payload through the hollow needle. Applied suction acts to draw blood from the puncture formed in the skin through the hollow needle, into the device, and to a sensor, blood storage element, or other payload. In some examples, the blood is drawn through the hollow needle when the hollow needle is penetrating the skin. In some examples, these devices are additionally configured to retract the hollow needle from the skin and/or to perform some other functions. These devices can be wearable and configured to automatically access blood or deliver a payload into skin, for example, to operate at one or more points in time while a wearer of a device is sleeping.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A system comprising:
 a hollow needle, wherein the hollow needle comprises a channel, and wherein the hollow needle comprises a first end that is configured to penetrate skin;   a reservoir, wherein the reservoir contains a payload;   an injector, wherein the injector is configured to drive the hollow needle into the skin to form a puncture in the skin, wherein the injector is further configured to deliver the payload from the reservoir into the skin via the channel and to retract the hollow needle from the skin subsequent to driving the hollow needle into the skin;   a suction source configured to provide suction, wherein the suction provided by the suction source is configured to draw blood from the puncture formed in the skin into the system,   wherein the injector comprises:
 a chamber, wherein the hollow needle is disposed at least partially within the chamber; and 
 a piston disposed in the chamber, wherein the hollow needle is coupled to the piston, wherein the piston comprises the reservoir, and wherein the piston is configured to slidably move within the chamber. 
   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the injector further comprises a propellant, wherein the propellant is configured to slidably move the piston within the chamber to drive the hollow needle into skin. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the system comprises a concave depression, wherein the injector is configured to drive the hollow needle into skin proximate the concave depression, and wherein the suction provided by the suction source is configured to suction the skin into the concave depression. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising a seal, wherein the seal is configured to receive suction provided by the suction source, wherein the injector driving the hollow needle into the skin comprises driving the hollow needle through the seal to form at least one hole in the seal, and wherein the suction provided by the suction source is configured to draw blood from the puncture formed in the skin through the at least one hole formed in the seal into the system. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising a blood storage element, wherein the suction provided by the suction source is configured to draw blood into the system to the blood storage element, and wherein the blood storage element is configured to store blood drawn by the suction to the blood storage element. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a property of blood to which the sensor is exposed, wherein the suction provided by the suction source is configured to draw blood into the system to the sensor. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the payload contained by the reservoir comprises heparin. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the propellant comprises nitrocellulose that is ignitable by the injector to drive the hollow needle into skin. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 a controller, wherein the controller is configured to perform controller functions including operating the injector to drive the hollow needle into the skin and to deliver the payload into the skin via the channel.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the payload comprises an electronic biosensor, wherein the electronic biosensor is configured to be injected into the skin by the injector, and wherein the electronic biosensor is configured to detect a property of the skin when the electronic biosensor is located in the skin. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the payload comprises a plurality of analyte-sensitive particles, wherein the analyte-sensitive particles are configured to selectively interact with an analyte in the skin, and wherein the analyte-sensitive particles are configured to emit electromagnetic energy related to a property of the analyte in the skin in response to receiving interrogating electromagnetic energy. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the payload comprises a fluid containing gelling agents. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 a driving mass, wherein the injector driving the hollow needle into the skin to form a puncture in the skin comprises accelerating the hollow needle, the driving mass, and the reservoir toward the skin; and   a stop configured to arrest the motion of the hollow needle and the reservoir toward the skin, wherein the driving mass is configured to continue moving subsequent to the stop arresting motion of the reservoir such that the driving mass applies a force to reduce a volume of the reservoir.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the injector is configured to deliver the payload from the reservoir into the skin by applying a force to reduce a volume of the reservoir. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the reservoir comprises a mechanically resilient element, wherein the mechanically resilient element is configured to apply a force that is counter to the force applied by the injector to reduce the volume of the reservoir. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the injector at a specified point in time. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the injector in response to a command and/or behavior detected by a sensor.