Pre-filled cartridge-based drug delivery device

Abstract

A wearable drug delivery device that can deliver a liquid drug stored in a container to a patient is provided. The container can be a prefilled cartridge that can be loaded into the drug delivery device by the patient or that can be preloaded within the drug delivery device when provided to the patient. A sealed end of the container is pierced to couple the stored liquid drug to a needle conduit that is coupled to a needle insertion component that provides access to the patient. A drive system of the drug delivery device can expel the liquid drug from the cartridge to the patient through the needle conduit. The drive system can be controlled to provide the liquid drug to the patient in a single dose or over multiple doses.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drug delivery system, comprising:
 a drug delivery device operable to deliver a liquid drug to a user, wherein the drug delivery device includes:
 a drug container configured to store a liquid drug; 
 an on-body interlock on a bottom surface of the drug delivery device and operable to be depressed before the drug delivery device can be activated; and 
 a user activation element comprising a button that is operable to be depressed by a user and remain depressed via a lock structure disposed at an interior of the drug delivery device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The drug delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the button is disposed on an exterior portion of the drug delivery device. 
     
     
         3 . The drug delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the user activation element is operable to enable delivery of a portion of the liquid drug from the drug container. 
     
     
         4 . The drug delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the user activation element is operable to trigger insertion of a needle below a surface of skin of the user. 
     
     
         5 . The drug delivery system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the user activation element is coupled to a user activation feature of the drug delivery device, and 
 the user activation feature is disposed on an interior-facing portion of the user activation element and is operable to interact with the lock structure disposed in an interior of the drug delivery device. 
 
     
     
         6 . The drug delivery system of  claim 5 , wherein the lock structure is associated with a recess that captures the user activation feature. 
     
     
         7 . The drug delivery system of  claim 5 , wherein the user activation feature is a protrusion. 
     
     
         8 . The drug delivery system of  claim 7 , wherein the protrusion includes:
 an expanded diameter portion operable to interact with a recess.   
     
     
         9 . The drug delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the drug delivery device further comprises:
 a transparent viewing window disposed in a casing of the drug delivery device adjacent to the drug container.   
     
     
         10 . The drug delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the drug delivery device is configured to be worn on a body of the user. 
     
     
         11 . A drug delivery device, comprising:
 a top portion;   a lower portion;   a drug container disposed below the top portion and above the lower portion and configured to store a liquid drug;   an on-body interlock on a bottom surface of the drug delivery device and operable to be depressed before the drug delivery device can be activated; and   a user activation element comprising a button that is operable to be depressed by a user and remain depressed via a lock structure.   
     
     
         12 . The drug delivery device of  claim 10 , wherein the button is disposed on an exterior portion of the drug delivery device. 
     
     
         13 . The drug delivery device of  claim 10 , wherein the user activation element is operable to enable delivery of a portion of the liquid drug from the drug container. 
     
     
         14 . The drug delivery device of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a needle insertion mechanism including a needle,   wherein the user activation element is operable to activate the needle insertion mechanism causing advancement of the needle toward the user.   
     
     
         15 . The drug delivery device of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the user activation element is coupled to a user activation feature of the drug delivery device, and   the user activation feature is disposed on an interior-facing portion of the user activation element and is operable to interact with the lock structure in an interior of the drug delivery device.   
     
     
         16 . The drug delivery device of  claim 14 , wherein the lock structure is associated with a recess that captures the user activation feature. 
     
     
         17 . The drug delivery device of  claim 10 , wherein the user activation feature includes:
 an expanded diameter portion operable to interact with a recess of the lock structure, wherein the recess is operable to enable the user activation feature to remain depressed.   
     
     
         18 . The drug delivery device of  claim 17 , wherein the user activation feature is a protrusion. 
     
     
         19 . The drug delivery device of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a transparent viewing window spanning the top portion and the lower portion, wherein the transparent viewing window is disposed adjacent to the drug container.   
     
     
         20 . The drug delivery system of  claim 10 , wherein the drug delivery device is configured to be worn on a body of the user.