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EP-4262930-B1 - FLUID DELIVERY SYSTEM WITH NEEDLE ASSEMBLY

EP4262930B1EP 4262930 B1EP4262930 B1EP 4262930B1EP-4262930-B1

Inventors

  • GUNAY, Murat
  • JUDSON, JARED ALDEN
  • PERKINS, RUSSELL WAYNE
  • SCHAFF, ANTHONY LAWRENCE

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20211214

Claims (11)

  1. A drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000) comprising: a cassette (30, 130, 200); a cartridge within the cassette (30, 130, 200) configured to hold a medication; a needle assembly (50, 132, 300, 400, 500) coupled to the cassette (30, 130, 200) comprising: a housing (310, 410) with a first end (392) and a second end (394) configured to couple to the cassette (30, 130, 200); and a needle mechanism supported by the housing (310, 410), comprising a first needle (51, 330, 430) and a second needle (53, 350, 450), and movable from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein in the first configuration the needle mechanism is positioned fully within the housing (310, 410) and in the second configuration the first needle (51, 330, 430) extends beyond the first end (392) and the second needle (53, 350, 450) extends beyond the second end (394), wherein: the first end (392) of the housing (310, 410) comprises a seal (230) and the cartridge comprises a septum (35, 226) proximate the second end (394) of the housing (310, 410), and when moving from the first configuration to the second configuration the first needle (51, 330, 430) pierces the seal (230) and the second needle (53, 350, 450) pierces the septum (35, 226), characterized in that the needle assembly (50, 132, 300, 400, 500) further comprises: a first fluid coupler (362, 462) and a second fluid coupler (364, 464) within the needle mechanism and fluidly coupled to the first needle (51, 330, 430) and the second needle (53, 350, 450) respectively, wherein the first and second fluid couplers are configured to fluidly disconnect the first and second needles from one another when the needle mechanism is in the first configuration and fluidly couple the first and second needles with one another when the needle mechanism is in the second configuration.
  2. The drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000) of claim 1, wherein the cassette (30, 130, 200) is decouplable from the needle assembly (50, 132, 300, 400, 500).
  3. The drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000) of any one of claims 1-2, wherein the needle mechanism further comprises a first needle support (320, 420) and a second needle support (340, 440) configured to support the first needle (51, 330, 430) and the second needle (53, 350, 450) respectively.
  4. The drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000) of claim 3, wherein the needle mechanism further comprises a driving member (370, 470) configured to interact with the first and second needle supports.
  5. The drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000) of claim 4, wherein the driving member (370, 470) drives the first and second needle supports to move the needle mechanism from the first configuration to the second configuration.
  6. The drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000) of claim 5, wherein the driving member (370, 470) is additionally configured to drive the first and second needle supports to move the needle mechanism from the second configuration back to the first configuration.
  7. The drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000) of claim 4, wherein the driving member (370, 470) comprises a pinion gear and each of the first and second needle supports comprise racks.
  8. The drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000) of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the needle mechanism is additionally movable from the second configuration back to the first configuration.
  9. The drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000) of any one of claims 1-8, further comprising a driving mechanism coupled to the cassette (30, 130, 200) and configured to drive the drug from the cartridge through the needle assembly (50, 132, 300, 400, 500).
  10. The drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000) of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the needle mechanism is driven by a variable speed motor.
  11. The drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000) of claim 10, wherein the variable speed motor is configured to alter a motor speed based on at least one sensor within the drug delivery device (11, 12, 13, 126, 1000).

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to a needle assembly to deliver a fluid. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an extendable and retractable needle assembly configured to deliver a fluid through a surface. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Conventional injection devices are often used to drive a needle through a surface, for example in the injection of a drug, removing a fluid from a sealed container such as a vial, sampling within chemical instrumentation, and so on. Considering the example of injecting a patient with a drug, it is sometimes advantageous for the drug to be administered without the presence of a medical professional (e.g. when taken frequently). It may be a challenge to ensure that the needle is maintained in a sterile environment prior to injection, as well to ensure that the drug is administered safely and efficiently. Furthermore, some patients are uncomfortable with seeing or directly handling needles. US 2013/006213 A1 discloses a method for removing a fluid medium from a container. The method comprises providing a removal device with a closed-off, sterilizable interior, with a needle element being held in the interior, the interior being closed off by a perforable sealing element; providing the container which contains the fluid medium, the container having a container wall with a perforable section; connecting the removal device and the container, the perforable section and the perforable sealing element being interconnected such that a protected region is created between the perforable section and the perforable sealing element, the protected region being closed off with respect to the surroundings in a substantially germ-free fashion as a result of the connection; and perforating the perforable sealing element and the perforable section by means of the needle element, the needle element penetrating the protected region. US 2019/328973 A1 discloses a medicament delivery device for delivery of medicament from a cartridge into an injection site, through a cannula. The cartridge has a medicament chamber with an outlet, and a sealing element for closing the outlet. The device has a housing for receiving the cartridge, and a drive mechanism to expel the medicament from the device upon activation of the drive mechanism. The device has a connection arrangement comprising a hub and spring means for driving relative movement between the hub and the cartridge upon operation of an operating member. The operating member switches the connection arrangement from an unconnected configuration to a connected configuration, in which the hub cooperates with the cartridge to open the outlet. When connected, fluid may flow between the chamber and the cannula. US 2019/298936 A1 discloses a needle arrangement for a drug delivery device. The needle arrangement includes a distal needle tip and a proximal needle tip. The distal needle tip is held in a distal needle holder and wherein the proximal needle tip is held in a proximal needle holder. The distal needle tip and the proximal needle tip are in fluid communication with each other through a fluid channel. The fluid channel is adapted to allow axial movement of the distal needle tip and relative to the proximal needle tip between a compact state and an extended state. A length of the needle arrangement over the distal needle tip and the proximal needle tip in the extended state is greater than in the compact state. EP 3 041 550 A1 discloses a drive mechanism for a needle insertion arrangement, the drive mechanism comprising: an actuator, a rotatable drive pulley directly or indirectly coupled to the actuator, and a belt adapted to engage the drive pulley and adapted to be fixed to a needle retainer. SUMMARY The scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims. Any "aspect", "example" and "embodiment" of the description not falling within the scope of the claims does not form part of the invention and is provided for illustrative purposes only. A needle assembly configured to be part of a drug delivery device comprises a number of extendable and retractable needles. The needles are fluidly coupled when extended, and fluidly decoupled when retracted. When the needles are extended, a first needle pierces a patient's skin, and a second needle pierces a septum of a drug cartridge. Once the drug has been delivered, the needles may then retract within a needle assembly housing. The needle assembly may also be part of a partially disposable drug delivery device, and may be used with multiple different drug cartridges. Multiple embodiments of the needle assembly are disclosed. In one embodiment, a drug delivery device including a cassette, a cartridge within the cassette configured to hold a medication, and a needle assembly coupled to the cassette. The needle assembly includes a housing with a first end and a second end configured to couple to the cassette. A needle mechanism is supported by the housing, and includes a fir