Drug delivery member insertion detection assembly, drug delivery device, and related methods

Abstract

A drug delivery member insertion depth sensing assembly, a drug delivery device, and a method for determining the insertion depth of a drug delivery member are disclosed. The sensing assembly may include an electrical sensing assembly having direct or indirect measurement components, or an optical sensing assembly having one or more light sources and one or more photodiodes. A controller of the sensing assembly can receive data related to the drug delivery member in the insertion position. The data can then be correlated with the insertion depth of the drug delivery member.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 990,133, filed March 16, 2020, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to drug delivery devices, and more particularly to drug delivery devices with electronic control. [Background technology]

[0003] Drugs may be administered through the use of drug delivery devices such as autoinjectors or on-body injectors, which can be used to help automate the injection and delivery or administration process, thereby simplifying the process for certain patient groups or subgroups for which the use of a syringe / vial combination or a pre-filled syringe system is disadvantageous, whether due to physiological or psychological barriers.

[0004] However, even after receiving designated training, some patients and / or caregivers experience difficulties while using autoinjectors and / or on-body injectors. Such difficulties may relate to placing the device on a person and / or activating the device. The user may be uncertain as to whether the device is properly placed prior to activation. The user may unintentionally move the device before the full dose can be administered or may administer the drug at a suboptimal depth. The user may also be uncertain as to whether their sequence of actions has correctly activated the drug delivery device. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to a first aspect, a drug delivery device is disclosed that includes a housing, a primary container disposed within the housing, a drug delivery member fluidly coupled to the primary container, the drug delivery member movable between a retracted position disposed within the housing and an injection position at least partially extending from the housing, and a wire having a first end and a second end, the second end being electrically connected at a connection point adjacent the drug delivery member, the connection point being fixed against movement relative to the housing. The drug delivery device further includes a controller in communication with the first end of the wire. The controller is configured to receive capacitance information from the wire associated with the drug delivery member in the injection position.

[0006] According to some embodiments, the controller may be configured to correlate the capacitance information with the depth to which the drug delivery member is inserted into the patient. In further embodiments, the drug delivery device may include a needle insertion mechanism. In these embodiments, the drug delivery member extends from the primary container and has an elongate configuration having a proximal end fixed against movement relative to the housing, an intermediate curve, and a distal end. The needle insertion mechanism is configured to move at least a portion of the distal end between a retracted position and an injection position, and a second end of the wire is fixed to a connection point at the proximal end of the drug delivery member. In other further embodiments, the drug delivery device may include a pair of capacitor plates disposed within the housing and spaced apart from the drug delivery member, the drug delivery member extending between the pair of capacitor plates. In these embodiments, the connection point is located on the pair of capacitor plates, and the controller is in communication with the capacitor plates to receive capacitance information associated with the drug delivery member in the injection position. In a further aspect, the drug delivery device includes one or more dielectric members disposed between the capacitor plates and the drug delivery member, the one or more dielectric members being spaced outwardly from the drug delivery member.

[0007] In any of the above configurations, the drug delivery member can include a cannula having a conductive portion, and the connection point can be adjacent the conductive portion of the cannula. Further, in some configurations, the conductive portion of the cannula can be a conductive coating extending over at least a portion of an outer surface of the cannula.

[0008] According to a second aspect, a method for determining an insertion depth of a drug delivery member is disclosed, comprising: moving the drug delivery member from a retracted position disposed within a housing of a drug delivery device to an injection position in which the drug delivery member at least partially extends from the housing; monitoring capacitance information associated with the drug delivery member in the injection position by a controller of the drug delivery device via a wire electrically connected at a connection point adjacent the drug delivery member, the connection point being fixed against movement relative to the housing; and correlating, by the controller, the capacitance information with the depth to which the drug delivery member is inserted into a patient.

[0009] According to some forms, the drug delivery member can have an elongated configuration having a proximal end fixed against movement relative to the housing, an intermediate curved portion, and a distal end, and monitoring by the controller capacitance information associated with the drug delivery member in the injection position can include monitoring by the controller capacitance information associated with the drug delivery member via a wire electrically connected at a connection point at the proximal end of the drug delivery member.

[0010] According to some aspects, moving the drug delivery member from a retracted position disposed within a housing of the drug delivery device to an injection position at least partially extending from the housing may include moving the drug delivery member between a pair of capacitor plates disposed within the housing and spaced apart from the drug delivery member, and monitoring capacitance information of the drug delivery member in the injection position by the controller may include monitoring capacitance information of the drug delivery member as it moves from the retracted position to the injection position via wires electrically connected at connection points adjacent the pair of capacitor plates. In a further aspect, the method may include separating the capacitor plates from the drug delivery member by one or more dielectric members.

[0011] In any of the above forms, monitoring capacitance information associated with the drug delivery member in the injection position by a controller of the drug delivery device may include monitoring capacitance information associated with the cannula by the controller via a wire electrically connected at a connection point adjacent the conductive portion of the cannula.

[0012] According to a third aspect, a drug delivery device is disclosed that includes a housing, a hub movably disposed within the housing, a drug delivery member having a portion extending within the hub and connected to the hub, a needle insertion mechanism operatively coupled to the hub and configured to move the hub to drive the drug delivery member between a retracted position disposed within the housing and an injection position at least partially extending from the housing, and a wire having a first end and a second end. At least a portion of the second end of the wire is fixed to the hub and electrically connected to the portion of the drug delivery member extending within the hub. The drug delivery device further includes a controller in communication with the wire to receive capacitance information associated with the drug delivery member in the injection position.

[0013] According to some aspects, the controller may be configured to correlate the capacitance information with the depth to which the drug delivery member is inserted into the patient. In a further aspect, the drug delivery member may include a cannula having a conductive portion, and the wire is electrically connected to the conductive portion of the cannula. Optionally, the conductive portion of the cannula may be a conductive coating extending over at least a portion of an outer surface of the cannula.

[0014] According to a fourth aspect, a method of determining an insertion depth of a drug delivery member is disclosed comprising: moving a hub disposed within a housing of a drug delivery device by a needle insertion mechanism, thereby driving a drug delivery member from a retracted position disposed within the housing of the drug delivery device to an injection position at least partially extending from the housing, the drug delivery member having a portion extending into and connected to the hub; monitoring capacitance information associated with the drug delivery member in the injection position by a controller of the drug delivery device via a wire having a first end and a second end, at least a portion of the second end being fixed to the hub and electrically connected to the portion of the drug delivery member extending into the hub; and optionally relating, by the controller, the capacitance information to a depth to which the drug delivery member is inserted into a patient.

[0015] According to some forms, monitoring capacitance information associated with the drug delivery member in the injection position by a controller of the drug delivery device may include monitoring capacitance information associated with the cannula by the controller via a wire fixed to the hub and electrically connected to a conductive portion of the cannula.

[0016] According to a fifth aspect, a drug delivery device is disclosed that includes a hub and a drug delivery member secured to the hub and having a proximal opening and a distal opening. The proximal opening is disposed within the hub and communicates with the distal opening. The drug delivery device further includes a light source oriented to project light into the proximal opening of the drug delivery member and out of the distal opening of the drug delivery member and into tissue of the patient with the drug delivery member in the injection position, and a photodiode oriented to receive light emitted through tissue of the patient adjacent the drug delivery member when the drug delivery member is in the injection position. A controller is in communication with the photodiode to receive data associated with the received light.

[0017] According to some forms, the controller may be configured to associate the data with the depth to which the drug delivery member is inserted into the patient's tissue. In a further form, the drug delivery device may include a housing, a primary container disposed within the housing, and a flow path fluidly coupling the primary container to the drug delivery member. In a first form, the drug delivery member extends into the hub and includes a curved portion disposed within the hub with a proximal opening extending into the hub, and a distal end extending from the curved portion through a bottom surface of the hub. In a second form, the drug delivery device includes an inlet conduit attached to the hub, the hub includes an internal cavity, the inlet conduit fluidly couples the flow path to the internal cavity of the hub, the drug delivery member extends from the internal cavity through a bottom surface of the hub, and a proximal opening of the drug delivery member fluidly couples the drug delivery member to the internal cavity. In either form, the photodiode may be attached to a top surface of the hub and / or to a bottom wall of the housing adjacent to a drug delivery member opening extending through the bottom wall of the housing. In another further form, the drug delivery device may include a primary container. In these configurations, the drug delivery member may be a needle, the hub may be fixedly attached to the distal end of the primary container, the light source may be an array of light sources supported by the hub, and the photodiodes may be an array of photodiodes extending around and adjacent the distal end of the primary container, the array of light sources and the array of photodiodes being misaligned to provide a generally unobstructed path toward the distal end of the needle.

[0018] According to a sixth aspect, a method of determining an insertion depth of a drug delivery member of a drug delivery device is disclosed, the method comprising: inserting a drug delivery member into tissue of a patient, the drug delivery member having a proximal end fixed to a hub and a distal end opposite the proximal end, and emitting light from a light source supported by the drug delivery device into a proximal opening at the proximal end of the drug delivery member and out a distal opening at the distal end of the drug delivery member and into the patient's tissue. The method further comprises receiving light emitted through the patient's tissue adjacent the drug delivery member with a photodiode, receiving data at a controller relating to the light received by the photodiode, and optionally associating, by the controller, the data received at the controller with the depth to which the drug delivery member is inserted into the patient's tissue.

[0019] In a first embodiment, inserting a drug delivery member secured to a hub of the drug delivery device into a patient's tissue may include moving a hub with the drug delivery member extending into the hub by a needle insertion mechanism. In a second embodiment, inserting a drug delivery member secured to a hub of the drug delivery device into a patient's tissue may include moving a hub having an internal cavity and a drug delivery member extending from the internal cavity through a bottom surface of the hub by a needle insertion mechanism, the proximal opening of the drug delivery member fluidly coupling the drug delivery member to the internal cavity. In either embodiment, receiving the light passing through the patient's tissue with a photodiode may include receiving the light passing through the patient's tissue with a photodiode mounted on a top surface of the hub or receiving the light passing through the patient's tissue with a photodiode mounted on a bottom wall of a housing of the drug delivery device.

[0020] According to some forms, inserting a drug delivery member secured to a hub of the drug delivery device into the patient's tissue may include inserting a needle secured to a hub fixedly attached to a distal end of the primary container into the patient's tissue, emitting light from the light source may include emitting light from an array of light sources supported by the hub, and receiving the light passing through the patient's tissue by a photodiode may include receiving the light passing through the patient's tissue by an array of photodiodes extending around and adjacent the distal end of the primary container, wherein the array of light sources and the array of photodiodes are unaligned to provide a generally unobstructed path toward the distal end of the needle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an autoinjector drug delivery device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an on-body drug delivery device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first exemplary electrical sensing assembly for a drug delivery device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a second exemplary electrical sensing assembly for a drug delivery device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a third exemplary electrical sensing assembly for a drug delivery device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first exemplary optical sensing assembly for a drug delivery device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a second exemplary optical sensing assembly for a drug delivery device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a third exemplary optical sensing assembly for a drug delivery device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The concept of a sensing system has been proposed for measuring the insertion depth of a drug delivery member, such as a needle or soft cannula of a drug delivery device, into a patient's skin by taking measurements, running algorithms, and processing the data. However, coupling between the sensing system and the drug delivery member of the drug delivery device is difficult. Thus, exemplary configurations for coupling and / or integrating the sensing system to the drug delivery member of a drug delivery device, such as an autoinjector or an on-body injector, are provided herein.

[0023] Before providing details of an exemplary sensing system, an exemplary drug delivery device is shown in Figures 1 and 2. In some configurations, such as shown in Figure 1, a drug delivery device 10, such as an autoinjector, may have a vertically oriented configuration in which some or all of the drug delivery components, including the injection assembly, are arranged in a stacked relationship along a longitudinal axis L within a housing 11 of the device 10. As a more specific example, the device 10 may be configured to operate and inject into a user with the device 10 oriented approximately perpendicular to the user's skin surface. The drug delivery components may include a primary container 12, such as a reservoir, having a drug 14 contained therein, a stopper 16 disposed within the primary container 12 and slidably movable within the primary container 12 along the longitudinal axis L, a needle 20 having a distal end oriented along the longitudinal axis L, and a flow passage 22 fluidly coupling the primary container 12 to the needle 20. The components may further include an injection assembly including a drive mechanism 18 coupled to the plunger 19 to drive the stopper 16 through the primary container 12 and a needle insertion mechanism (NIM) 24 configured to insert the needle 20 to a desired subcutaneous depth within the user. In some approaches, the NIM 24 may be a retractable needle guard to expose the needle 20 or a drive mechanism to move the needle longitudinally a desired distance. For example, the drive mechanism 18 may be configured to drive the movement of both the stopper 16 and the needle 20 by moving some or all of the primary container 12, the flow passage 22, and the needle 20. As generally configured, one or more of the components of the device 10, such as the drive mechanism 18 and the NIM 24, may operate in response to actuation of a user input device 26 accessible outside the housing 11. Suitable drive mechanisms include, but are not limited to, a spring, a gas source, a phase change material, a motor, or other electromechanical systems. Accordingly, the device 10 may include electronic components, such as a controller 28, for controlling the operation of one or more of the drug delivery components.Although FIG. 1 shows the components centrally disposed along the longitudinal axis L, it will be understood that one or more of the components may be disposed off-center from the longitudinal axis L within the housing 11 and still be considered to be in a stacked relationship. In one example, an autoinjector drug delivery device having drug delivery components in a stacked relationship corresponds to a primary container 12 coaxially aligned with a needle 20. In some forms, the device 10 may include a cap assembly including a cap housing and a remover. The device 10 may further include a needle shield disposed over at least a portion of the distal end of the needle 20 in a stored state, where the needle shield engages and is retained by the remover. The needle shield may then be removable by removing the cap assembly from the device 10. An exemplary autoinjector device is described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 447,174, filed Jan. 17, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0024] 2, a drug delivery device 50, such as an on-body injector, may have a horizontally oriented configuration in which the drug delivery components are disposed generally along a horizontal plane P within a housing 51 of the device 50. In these devices 50, the housing 51 has a low profile with a width greater than a height, so that when a user places the housing 51 on the skin, the components spread out across an area of ​​the skin rather than being stacked as in the above embodiments. The drug delivery components may include a primary container 52, such as a reservoir having a drug 54 contained therein, that may be removably disposed within the housing 51, a stopper 56 disposed within the primary container 52 and slidably movable therein along a horizontal plane P, a drive mechanism 58 coupled to a plunger 60 for driving the stopper 56 within the primary container 52, a needle and / or soft cannula 62 oriented along an axis X extending generally transverse to the horizontal plane P, such as perpendicular or at an angle to the horizontal plane P, a flow channel 64 fluidly coupling the primary container 52 to the needle 62, and a NIM 66 configured to insert the needle 62 to a desired subcutaneous depth within a user. As generally configured, one or more of the components of the device 50, such as the drive mechanism 58 and the NIM 66, may operate in response to actuation of a user input device 68 accessible on the exterior of the housing 51. In accordance with this, the device 50 may include an electronic component, such as a controller 70, for controlling the operation of one or more of the drug delivery components. As noted above, this form of device 50 may also include a cap assembly including a cap housing and a remover. Device 50 may further include a needle shield disposed over at least a portion of the distal end of needle 62 in the stored state, where the needle shield engages and is retained by the remover. The needle shield may be removable by removing the cap assembly from device 50. Of course, it will be understood that some components may be located partially or wholly above or below a horizontal plane P extending generally through the center of housing 51 and still be considered to have a horizontally oriented configuration.Suitable drive mechanisms include, but are not limited to, a spring, a gas source, a phase change material, a motor, or other electromechanical systems. An exemplary on-body injector device is described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 536,911, filed July 25, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0025] A sensing system for a drug delivery device 10, 50 can measure the insertion depth of the drug delivery member 20, 52 electrically or optically. In one form, an electrical sensing system 100 measures the insertion depth by measuring the capacitance between the inserted drug delivery member 20, 52 and an electrode 102 in contact with the patient's skin 104. The sensing system 100 uses an algorithm to correlate the measured mutual capacitance, either locally or remotely, with the insertion depth of the drug delivery member 20, 52. Alternatively, the electrical sensing system 100 can measure impedance (self-capacitance) as a function of the depth of the drug delivery member 20, 52 without the use of electrodes in contact with the patient's skin. In another form, an optical sensing system 200 measures the insertion depth of the drug delivery member 20, 52 by shining light with a light source 202 through the penetrating drug delivery member 20, 52 into the patient's tissue and receiving backscattered light emitted through the patient's tissue by one or more photodiodes 206 on or adjacent to the patient's skin 204. For example, the photodiode 206 measures the light intensity and transmits data related to the light intensity. The sensing system 200 uses an algorithm, either locally or remotely, to correlate the insertion depth of the drug delivery member 20, 52 with the intensity of the received backscattered light.

[0026] A first exemplary electrical sensing assembly 100 for a drug delivery device 10,50 is shown in FIG. 3. In this form, the drug delivery member 20,62 is a needle fluidly coupled to the primary container 12,52 by a channel 22,64, which may be a flexible tube as shown or rigid. Additionally, the needle 20,62 includes a portion 106 that extends into and is connected to a hub 108 received within the device 10,50. The hub 108 is manipulated by the NIM 24,66 to move the needle 20,62 from a retracted storage position disposed within the housing 11,51 to an injection position extending at least partially out of the housing 11,51. The needle 20,62 can have a curved configuration as shown in FIG. 3, where the needle 20,62 enters the hub 108 from the side and exits the hub 108 through the bottom, or can have a straight configuration where the needle 20,62 enters the hub 108 from the top and exits through the bottom. It will be appreciated that either configuration may be utilized in the autoinjector 10 or on-body injector 50.

[0027] Advantageously, the portion 106 of the needle 20, 62 disposed within the hub 108 is fixed relative to the hub 108. With this configuration, the wire 110 can have a first end 112 that is electrically connected directly to the portion 106 of the needle 20, 62 that extends within the hub 108 and is fixed to the hub 108 at a fixing point 114 to prevent movement of the hub 108 and the needle 20, 62 during an injection operation from loosening the connection. In one form, the first end 112 of the wire 110 can be fixed directly to the needle 20, 62. The second end 116 of the wire 110 can be in communication with the controller 28, 70, which can analyze capacitance information provided by the wire 110 relating to the needle 20, 62 in the injection position and correlate the capacitance information with the depth to which the needle 20, 62 has penetrated the patient's skin 104. Alternatively or additionally, the capacitance information can be sent to a remote controller for analysis and correlation. The wires 110 may be flexible to accommodate movement of the hub 108 and needles 20, 62 relative to the controller 28, 70 during operation of the device 10, 50. A direct electrical connection between the needles 20, 62 and the controller 28, 70 provides a reliable source of capacitance information without the risk of the connection between the wires 110 and the needles 20, 62 failing or providing intermittent results. In one form, the needles 20, 62 may be made from stainless steel.

[0028] A second exemplary electrical sensing assembly 100 for a drug delivery device 50 is shown in FIG. 4. In this configuration, the needle 62 is directly fluidly connected to the primary container 52. Thus, the needle 62 provides a flow path 64. The needle 62 in this configuration has an elongated configuration with a fixed proximal end 120 extending from the primary container 52, an intermediate curved portion 122, and a movable distal end 124. For example, the proximal end 120 can extend approximately parallel to the horizontal plane P, for example within 5 degrees or within 10 degrees, and the curved portion 122 can be a 180 degree curve such that at least a portion 126 of the distal end 124 extends backward generally parallel to the horizontal plane P. The distal end 124 can also include an angled portion 128 configured to move out of the housing 51 during an injection operation. The angled portion 128 can extend at a generally transverse angle to the plane P, such as between 30 degrees and 45 degrees, between 45 degrees and 60 degrees, between 60 degrees and 90 degrees, etc. In this configuration, the NIM 66 can manipulate the distal end 124 of the needle 62 to move the angled portion 128 from a retracted storage position disposed within the housing 51 to an injection position at least partially extending from the housing 51. The curved portion 122 allows the distal end 124 to move relative to the fixed proximal end 120.

[0029] Advantageously, the wire 130 may have a first end 132 and a second end 136. The second end 136 may be electrically connected to the needle 62 at a connection point 134 adjacent the proximal end 120 of the needle 62. Advantageously, the connection point 134 is fixed against movement relative to the housing 51 by a fixed configuration of the proximal end 120 of the needle 62. In one form, the first end 132 may be fixed directly to the needle 62 such that movement of the distal end 124 of the needle 62 during an injection operation will not loosen the connection. The second end 136 of the wire 130 may be in communication with the controller 70, which may analyze capacitance information provided by the wire 130 relating to the needle 62 in the injection position and correlate the capacitance information with the depth to which the needle 62 has penetrated the patient's skin 104. Alternatively or additionally, the capacitance information may be sent to a remote controller for analysis and correlation. Assuming that the proximal end 120 of the needle 62 and the controller 70 are fixed to one another, the wire 130 can have a rigid or fixed configuration within the housing 51. Of course, the wire 130 can have a flexible configuration, if desired. The direct electrical connection between the needle 62 and the controller 70 provides a reliable source of capacitance information without the risk of the connection between the wire 130 and the needle 62 failing or providing intermittent results. In one form, the needle 62 can be made from stainless steel.

[0030] A third exemplary electrical sensing assembly 100 for a drug delivery device 10, 50 is shown in FIG. 5. This configuration is shown in FIG. 5 with reference to an autoinjector 10, but it will be understood that the assembly 100 can be readily incorporated into an on-body injector 50. In this configuration, the NIM 24, 66 moves the needle 20, 62 between a retracted storage position disposed within the housing 11, 51 and an injection position in which the distal end of the needle 20, 62 extends at least partially from the housing 11, 51. This configuration of the electrical sensing assembly 100 provides non-contact monitoring of the needle 20, 62. As shown, the sensing assembly 100 includes a pair of spaced apart capacitor plates 140 between which the needle 20, 62 extends. Optionally, the assembly 100 may further include one or more dielectric members 142 disposed between the capacitor plates 140 and the needle 20, 62. The dielectric member 142 is spaced from the needles 20, 62 to allow the needles 20, 62 to move freely during the injection operation, while also spacing the capacitor plates 140 a fixed distance from the needles 20, 62 to ensure consistent readings during operation.

[0031] As shown, the assembly 100 may further include one or more wires 144 electrically connected to the capacitor plate 140 and in communication with the controller 28, 70. The controller 28, 70 may analyze capacitance information provided by the wires 144 and the capacitor 140 relating to the needle 20, 62 in the injection position. For example, the wires 144 may have a first end in communication with the controller 28, 70 and a second end electrically connected at a connection point adjacent the needle 20, 62, i.e., to the capacitor plate 140. Advantageously, the connection point is fixed against movement relative to the housing 11, 51 due to the fixed configuration of the capacitor plate 140. The controller 28, 70, or optionally a remote controller, may then correlate the capacitance information with the depth to which the needle 20, 62 has penetrated the patient's skin 104. Assuming that the capacitor plate 140 and the controller 70 are fixed to one another, the wires 144 may have a rigid or fixed configuration within the housing 11, 51. Of course, the wire 144 can have a flexible configuration if desired. The non-contact monitoring of the needle 20, 62 provided by the capacitor plate 140 allows movement of the needle without compromising the electrical connection of the sensing assembly 100. By being mounted at a fixed distance from the needle 20, 62, the capacitor plate 140 provides a reliable source of capacitance information without interfering with the movement and movement of the needle 20, 62. This form of the sensing assembly 100 is particularly advantageous in an autoinjector 10 or on-body injector 50 that has a short needle length, but also requires needle movement for the injection operation. In one form, the needle 62 can be made of stainless steel.

[0032] In any of the above configurations, the drug delivery member 20, 62 may include or be a cannula, such as a soft cannula. The cannula 20, 62 may be made conductive by coating its outer surface 150 with a conductive material. For example, the conductive material may be gold or platinum. The conductive material may be coated on the outer surface 150 of the cannula 20, 62 by any suitable method, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) or atomic layer deposition (ALD). In another configuration, the cannula 20, 62 may be made from a polymer nanocomposite with the addition of carbon nanotubes or metal nanoparticles to make the cannula 20, 62 conductive. Any of these configurations may allow the capacitor plates 140 to monitor the cannula 20, 62 as it moves between the capacitor plates 140, as described above.

[0033] A first exemplary optical sensing assembly 200 for a drug delivery device 10, 50 is shown in FIG. 6. In this form, the drug delivery member 20, 62 is a needle fluidly coupled to the primary container 12, 52 by a fluid passage 22, 64, which may be a flexible tube as shown. Additionally, the needle 20, 62 extends into and is secured to a hub 210 received within the device 10, 50, which is configured to be manipulated by the NIM 24, 66 to move the needle 20, 62 from a retracted storage position disposed within the housing 11, 51 to an injection position extending at least partially from the housing 11, 51. As shown, the needle 20, 62 includes a proximal end 212 that enters the hub 210 through a side 214, a curved portion 216 disposed within the hub 210, and a distal end 218 that exits the hub 210 through a bottom 220. In one example, the curve 216 of the needle 20, 62 may be approximately (eg, within 5 degrees or within 10 degrees) a 90 degree curve. In one form, the needle 20, 62 may be stainless steel.

[0034] As shown, the sensing assembly 200 further includes a light source 202 oriented and configured to project light through a proximal opening 222 of the needle 20, 62 and a distal opening 223 in communication with the proximal opening 222 to project light into the patient's tissue after the distal end 218 of the needle 20, 62 is inserted into the patient's tissue. In this configuration, the proximal opening 222 is disposed in a top surface 224 of the curved portion 212 aligned over the distal end 218 of the needle. Additionally, the hub 210 may be configured to provide optical access to the opening 222 such that light may be projected through the hub 210 and the opening 222 to the distal end 218 of the needle 20, 62. For example, the hub 210 may be made of a transparent material, such as plastic, or an opaque material having a bore aligned with the needle opening 222, while maintaining the fluid-tight nature of the needle 20, 62 with a transparent cover or shield. In one form, the light source 202 can be attached to the hub 210 and move with the hub 210. In such a configuration, the wire 228 electrically connected to the light source 202 can be flexible to allow the light source 202 to move freely with the hub 210. In another form, the light source 202 can be fixedly attached within the housing 11, 51 and the wire 228 can be fixed / rigid or flexible as required. In another form, the drug delivery member 20, 62 can include a soft cannula with a needle that functions as a trocar. This configuration allows light projected by the light source 202 to pass through the needle 20, 62 and toward the cannula. It will be appreciated that the above configuration can be utilized in an autoinjector 10 or an on-body injector 50.

[0035] In some forms, the assembly 200 may further include light focusing components to guide the light to the needle 20, 62 and avoid scattering. For example, one or more lenses, mounted on or within the hub 210 and / or on or within the housing 11, 51, may be placed in the path of the light projected from the light source 202. A reflective material may be placed in front of the light source 202, such as in the bore of the hub 210.

[0036] As described above, the optical sensing assembly 200 receives backscattered light emitted through the patient's tissue adjacent the needle 20, 62 in the injection position by one or more photodiodes 206 on or adjacent the patient's skin 204. The photodiodes 206 are electrically connected to and in communication with the controller 28, 70 to provide data associated with the received light. The controller 28, 70 or optionally a remote controller can then correlate the data with the depth to which the needle 20, 62 has penetrated the patient's skin 204. In a first configuration, the photodiode 206 may be located adjacent the light source 202 with the light source 202 generally centrally located relative to the photodiode 206. The photodiode 206 may be coupled to the hub 210 and move with the hub 210, or may be mounted in a fixed position within the housing 11, 51. With this configuration, the photodiode 206 detects backscattered light passing through the hub 210. The hub 210 may be made of a transparent material, as described above, or may have one or more bores extending therein aligned with the photodiode 206. In a second configuration, the photodiode 206 may be coupled to the bottom wall 230 of the housing 11, 51 adjacent a drug delivery member opening 232 extending through the bottom wall 230 of the housing 11, 51. For example, the bottom wall 230 may include a transparent portion 234 extending around the opening 232, and the photodiode 206 may be mounted within an external optically transparent casing 236 of the housing 11, 51 within which the hub 210 is received, or the photodiode 206 may be mounted within an opening 238 in the bottom wall 230 that will be directly adjacent the patient's skin 204.

[0037] A second exemplary optical sensing assembly 200 for a drug delivery device 10,50 is shown in FIG. 7. In this configuration, the drug delivery member 20,62 is a needle fluidly coupled to the primary container 12,52 by a channel 22,64, which may be a flexible tube as shown or rigid. Rather than the needle extending into the hub 250 as in the previous configuration, this configuration of the assembly 200 includes a separate inlet conduit 252 that enters the hub 250 through a side 254, and the needle 20,62 exits the hub 250 through a bottom 256. Additionally, the hub 250 defines an internal cavity 258 that fluidly connects the inlet conduit 252 to the needle 20,62. As with the previous configuration, the hub 250 is configured to be manipulated by the NIM 24,66 to move the needle 20,62 from a retracted storage position within the housing 11,51 to an injection position at least partially extending from the housing 11,51. In one form, the needles 20, 62 may be stainless steel.

[0038] As shown, the sensing assembly 200 further includes a light source 202 oriented and configured to project light onto the needle 20, 62 through a proximal opening 259 of the needle 20, 62 and a distal opening 261 in communication with the proximal opening 259 to project light onto the patient's tissue after the needle 20, 62 is inserted into the patient's tissue. In this configuration, the needle 20, 62 extends along a longitudinal axis and the hub 250 can be configured to provide optical access to the needle 20, 62 such that light can be projected onto the needle 20, 62 through the hub 250. For example, the hub 250 can be made from a transparent material, such as plastic, or an opaque material having a bore aligned with the needle opening 259, while maintaining the fluid-tight nature of the needle 20, 62 with a transparent cover or shield. As shown, the light source 202 is aligned with the proximal opening 259 of the needle 20, 62 such that after the needle 20, 62 is inserted into the patient's tissue, the light projected by the light source 202 enters the needle 20, 62 and travels to the patient's tissue. In one form, the light source 202 can be attached to the hub 250 and move with the hub 250. In such a configuration, the wire 262 electrically connected to the light source 202 can be flexible to allow the light source 202 to move freely with the hub 250. In another form, the light source 202 can be fixedly attached within the housing 11, 51 and the wire 262 can be fixed / rigid or flexible as needed. In another form, the drug delivery member 20, 62 can include a soft cannula with the needle acting as a trocar. This configuration allows the light projected by the light source 202 to pass through the needle 20, 62 and toward the cannula. It will be appreciated that the above configuration may be utilized in an autoinjector 10 or an on-body injector 50.

[0039] In some forms, the assembly 200 may further include light focusing components to guide the light to the needle 20, 62 and avoid scattering. For example, one or more lenses, mounted on or within the hub 250 and / or on or within the housing 11, 51, may be placed in the path of the light projected from the light source 202. A reflective material may be placed in front of the light source 202, such as in the bore of the hub 250.

[0040] As described above, the optical sensing assembly 200 receives or measures backscattered light emitted through the patient's tissue when the needle 20, 62 is in an injection position by one or more photodiodes 206 on or adjacent the patient's skin 204. The photodiodes 206 are electrically connected to and in communication with the controller 28, 70 to provide data related to the light received by the photodiodes 206. The controller 28, 70 or optionally a remote controller can then correlate the data with the depth to which the needle 20, 62 penetrates the patient's skin 204. In a first configuration, the photodiode 206 can be positioned adjacent the light source 202 with the light source 202 in a generally central position relative to the photodiode 206. The photodiode 206 can be coupled to the hub 250 and move with the hub 250 or can be mounted in a fixed position within the housing 11, 51. With this configuration, the photodiode 206 detects backscattered light passing through the hub 250. The hub 250 may be made of a transparent material, as described above, or may have one or more bores extending therein aligned with the photodiode 206. In a second configuration, the photodiode 206 may be coupled to the bottom wall 264 of the housing 11, 51 adjacent a drug delivery member opening 266 extending therethrough. For example, the bottom wall 264 may include a transparent portion 268 extending around the opening 266, and the photodiode 206 may be mounted within the housing 11, 51, for example, embedded within an external optically transparent casing 270 within which the hub 250 is received, or the photodiode 206 may be mounted within an opening 272 in the bottom wall 230 that will be directly adjacent the patient's skin 204.

[0041] A third exemplary optical sensing assembly 200 for a prefilled syringe 300 is shown in FIG. The syringe 300 includes a primary container in the form of a barrel or reservoir 302 that contains a fluid therapeutic product. The barrel 302 has an annular sidewall 304 extending between a dispensing opening 306 at a distal end 308 and an open proximal end 310. The syringe 300 includes a needle 312 secured at the distal end 308 of the barrel 302 to a hub 314 coupled to the barrel 302 such that the needle 312 is fluidly coupled to an interior 316 of the barrel 302.

[0042] As shown, the sensing assembly 200 further includes an array of light sources 202 oriented and configured to project light through a proximal opening 317 of the needle 20, 62 disposed within the hub 314 and a distal opening 319 in communication with the proximal opening 317 onto the needle 312 to project light onto the patient's tissue after the needle 312 is inserted into the patient's tissue. In this configuration, the needle 312 extends along a longitudinal axis, and the hub 314 and / or the barrel distal end 308 may be configured to provide optical access to the needle 312 such that light can be projected onto the needle 312 through the hub 314 and / or the barrel distal end 308. For example, the hub 314 and / or the barrel distal end 308 may be made from a transparent material, such as plastic, or an opaque material having a bore aligned with the needle opening 317, while a transparent cover or shield maintains the fluid-tight nature of the needle 312 and the barrel interior 316. The array of light sources 202 may extend around or within the hub 314 or the barrel distal end 308 .

[0043] The photodiodes 206 of the assembly 200 may be arranged in an array extending around or within the needle hub 314 or the barrel distal end 308. The light sources 202 and photodiodes 206 may be arranged such that individual photodiodes 206 do not block light projected from the light sources 202 and such that individual light sources 202 do not block light emitted through the patient's tissue to be received by the photodiodes 206. For example, the light sources 202 and photodiodes 206 may be arranged in an alternating pattern around the syringe 300. The photodiodes 206 are electrically connected to and in communication with a controller 320 of the syringe 300 to provide data associated with the light received by the photodiodes 206 when the drug delivery member is in an injection position. The controller 320, or optionally a remote controller, may then correlate the data with the depth to which the needle 312 has penetrated the patient's skin 320. It will be appreciated that the sensing assembly 200 described above may be incorporated into an autoinjector device 10 having a light source 202 and an array of photodiodes 206 positioned relative to the primary container 12 and needle 20 .

[0044] In the above configuration, the controller 28, 70, 320 can reference expected values ​​and determine the depth of the drug delivery member 20, 62, 312 based on the measurements provided, thereby verifying and recording the depth of the drug delivery member 20, 62, 312 during a drug dispensing operation. In some cases, the delivery depth of a drug, such as an intradermal, subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intravenous site, can affect, for example, pharmacokinetics and lead to therapeutic differences for a particular drug. Using the devices described herein, interested parties can have data verifying that the device 10, 50, 300 was correctly positioned and that the drug delivery member 20, 62, 312 was inserted to the target depth.

[0045] The term controller broadly refers to any microcontroller, computer, or processor-based device with a processor, memory, and programmable input / output peripherals that are generally designed to control the operation of other components and devices. It is further understood to include common attached accessory devices that include power sources, memory, transceivers for communication with other components and devices, etc. These structural options are well known and understood in the art and need not be described further here. A controller may be configured to perform one or more of the steps, actions, and / or functions described herein (e.g., by using corresponding programming stored in a memory, as will be well understood by those skilled in the art).

[0046] It should be understood that elements in the figures are drawn for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and / or relative positions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to improve understanding of the various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in commercially feasible embodiments are often not shown so as to not overly distract from the illustrations of these various embodiments. The same reference numbers may be used to describe like or similar parts. Furthermore, although several examples have been disclosed herein, any feature of any example may be combined with or substituted for other features of other examples. Furthermore, although several examples have been disclosed herein, changes may be made to the disclosed examples without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0047] The above description describes various devices, assemblies, components, subsystems, and methods of use related to drug delivery devices. The devices, assemblies, components, subsystems, methods, or drug delivery devices may further include or be used with drugs, including but not limited to the drugs identified below, and their generic and biosimilar equivalents. As used herein, the term drug may be used interchangeably with other similar terms and may be used to refer to any type of pharmaceutical or therapeutic substance, including traditional and non-traditional medicines, nutraceuticals, supplements, biologics, biologically active agents and compositions, large molecules, biosimilars, bioequivalents, therapeutic antibodies, polypeptides, proteins, small molecules, and generic drugs. Non-therapeutic injectable materials are also included. Drugs may be in liquid form, lyophilized form, or reconstituted from a lyophilized form. The following list of exemplary drugs should not be considered exhaustive or limiting.

[0048] The drug is contained within a reservoir. In some cases, the reservoir is a primary container into which the drug is filled or pre-filled for treatment. The primary container can be a vial, cartridge, or pre-filled syringe.

[0049] In some embodiments, the reservoir of the drug delivery device may be loaded with or the device may be used with colony stimulating factors such as granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). Such G-CSF agents include, but are not limited to, Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim, PEGylated filgastrim, PEGylated G-CSF, PEGylated hu-Met-G-CSF) and Neupogen® (filgrastim, G-CSF, hu-MetG-CSF), UDENYCA® (pegfilgrastim-cbqv), Ziextenzo® (LA-EP2006; pegfilgrastim-bmez), or FULPHILA (pegfilgrastim-bmez).

[0050] In other embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with an erythropoietin stimulating agent (ESA), which may be in liquid or lyophilized form. An ESA is any molecule that stimulates red blood cell production. In some embodiments, an ESA is an erythropoietin stimulating protein. As used herein, "erythropoietin stimulating protein" refers to any protein that directly or indirectly causes activation of the erythropoietin receptor, for example, by binding to the receptor and causing receptor dimerization. Erythropoietin stimulating proteins include erythropoietin and its variants, analogs, or derivatives that bind to and activate the erythropoietin receptor, antibodies that bind to and activate the erythropoietin receptor, or peptides that bind to and activate the erythropoietin receptor. Erythropoiesis-stimulating proteins include Epogen® (epoetin alfa), Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa), Dynepo® (epoetin delta), Mircera® (methoxypolyethylene glycol-epoetin beta), Hematide®, MRK-2578, INS-22, Retacrit® (epoetin zeta), Neorecormon® (epoetin beta), Silapo® (epoetin zeta), Binocrit® (epoetin alfa), Epoetin alpha, epoetin beta, epoetin iota, epoetin omega, epoetin delta, epoetin zeta, epoetin theta, and epoetin delta, PEGylated erythropoietin, carbamylated erythropoietin, and molecules or variants or analogs thereof.

[0051] Among certain exemplary proteins are the specific proteins described below, including fusions, fragments, analogs, variants, or derivatives thereof, such as OPGL-specific antibodies (also referred to as RANKL-specific antibodies, peptibodies, etc.), peptibodies, and related proteins, including fully humanized and human OPGL-specific antibodies, particularly fully humanized monoclonal antibodies; myostatin-binding proteins, peptibodies, related proteins, including myostatin-specific peptibodies; and IL-4 receptor-specific antibodies, peptibodies, and related proteins, particularly those that inhibit activities mediated by binding of IL-4 and / or IL-13 to its receptor. interleukin 1-receptor 1 ("IL1-R1") specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc.; Ang2 specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc.; NGF specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc.; CD22 specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc., in particular dimers of human-mouse monoclonal hLL2 gamma chain disulfide bound to human-mouse monoclonal hLL2 kappa chain, e.g., epratuzumab (CAS Registry No. 501423-23-0). Human CD22-specific antibodies, including but not limited to, humanized and fully human antibodies, including but not limited to, humanized and fully human monoclonal antibodies, including but not limited to, human CD22-specific IgG antibodies, such as a fully humanized antibody specific for human CD22; IGF-1 receptor-specific antibodies, peptibodies, and related proteins, including but not limited to, anti-IGF-1R antibodies; B-7-related protein 1-specific antibodies, peptibodies, and related proteins, including but not limited to, those that inhibit the interaction of B7RP-1 with ICOS, the natural receptor for B7RP-1 on activated T cells, including but not limited to, a fully human IgG2 monoclonal antibody specific for B7RP; HuMax IL-15 specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc., including but not limited to IL-15 antibodies and related proteins, particularly humanized monoclonal antibodies;IFN gamma specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc., including but not limited to human IFN gamma specific antibodies, and including but not limited to fully human anti-IFN gamma antibodies; TALL-1 specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc., as well as other TALL specific binding proteins; parathyroid hormone ("PTH") specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc.; thrombopoietin receptor ("TPO-R") specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc.; including those targeting the hepatocyte growth factor / scatter factor (HGF / SF:c-Met) axis (HGF / SF:c-Met), such as fully human monoclonal antibodies that neutralize HGF / SF. , hepatocyte growth factor ("HGF") specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc.; TRAIL-R2 specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc.; activin A specific antibodies, peptibodies, proteins, etc.; TGF-beta specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc.; amyloid beta protein specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc.; c-Kit specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, including but not limited to proteins that bind c-Kit and / or other stem cell factor receptors. proteins, etc.; OX40L-specific antibodies, peptibodies, related proteins, etc., including but not limited to proteins that bind OX40L and / or other ligands of the OX40 receptor; Activase® (alteplase, tPA); Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa), erythropoietin [30-asparagine, 32-threonine, 87-valine, 88-asparagine, 90-threonine], darbepoetin alfa, novel hematopoietic stimulating protein (NESP); Epogen (Registered Trademark) (epoetin alfa, or erythropoietin); GLP-1, Avonex® (interferon beta-1a); Bexxar® (tositumomab, an anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody); Betaseron® (interferon-beta); Campath® (alemtuzumab, an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody); Dynepo® (epoetin delta); Velcade® (bortezomib); MLN0002 (anti-α4β7 mAb); MLN1202 (anti-CCR2 chemokine receptor mAb);Enbrel® (etanercept, TNF receptor / Fc fusion protein, TNF blocker); Eprex® (epoetin alfa); Erbitux® (cetuximab, anti-EGFR / HER1 / c-ErbB-1); Genotropin® (somatropin, human growth hormone); Herceptin® (trastuzumab, anti-HER2 / neu(erbB2) receptor mAb); Kanjinti™ (trastuzumab-anns) anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody, a biosimilar of Herceptin® or another product containing trastuzumab for the treatment of breast or gastric cancer; Humatrope® (somatropin, human growth hormone); Humira® (adalimumab); Vectibix (registered ® (panitumumab), Xgeva® (denosumab), Prolia® (denosumab), immunoglobulin G2 human monoclonal antibody against RANK ligand, Enbrel® (etanercept, TNF-receptor / Fc fusion protein, TNF blocker), Nplate® (romiplostim), rilotumumab, ganitumab, conatumumab, brodalumab, insulin in solution; Infergen® (interferon alfacon-1); Natrecor® (nesiritide; recombinant human B-type natriuretic peptide (hBNP); Kineret® (anakinra); Leukine® (sargamostim, rhuGM-CSF); LymphoCide® (epratuzumab, anti-CD22 mAb); Benlysta™ (lymphostat B, belimumab, anti-BlyS mAb); Metalyse® (tenecteplase, t-PA analog); Mircera® (methoxypolyethylene glycol-epoetin beta); Mylotarg® (gemtuzumab ozogamicin); Raptiva® (efalizumab); Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol, CDP 870); Soliris™ (eculizumab); pexelizumab (anti-complement C5); Numax® (MEDI-524); Lucentis® (ranibizumab);Panorex® (17-1A, edrecolomab); Trabio® (lerdelimumab); TheraCim hR3 (nimotuzumab); Omnitarg (pertuzumab, 2C4); Osidem® (IDM-1); OvaRex® (B43.13); Nuvion® (vigilizumab); cantuzumab mertansine (huC242-DM1); NeoRecormon® (epoetin beta); Neumega® (oprelvekin, human interleukin-11); Orthoclone OKT3® (muromonab-CD3, anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody); Procrit® (epoetin alpha); Remicade® (infliximab, anti-TNFα monoclonal antibody); Reopro® (abciximab, anti-GP lIb / Ilia receptor monoclonal antibody; Actemra® (anti-IL6 receptor mAb); Avastin® (bevacizumab), HuMax-CD4 (zanolimumab); Mvasi™ (bevacizumab-awwb); Rituxan® (rituximab, anti-CD20 mAb);Tarceva® (erlotinib);Roferon-A® (interferon alpha-2a);Simulect® (basiliximab);Prexige® (lumiracoxib);Synagis® (palivizumab);145c7-CHO (anti-IL15 antibody, see U.S. Pat. No. 7,153,507);Tysabri® (natalizumab, anti-α4 integrin mAb);Valortim® (MDX-1303, anti-B. anthracis protective antigen mAb);ABthrax®;Xolair® (omalizumab);ETI211 (anti-MRSA mAb);IL-1 trap (the Fc portion of human IgG1 and the extracellular domain of both IL-1 receptor components (type I receptor and receptor accessory protein));VEGF trap (IgG1 Ig domain of VEGFR1 fused to Fc; Zenapax® (daclizumab); Zenapax® (daclizumab, an anti-IL-2Rα mAb);Zevalin® (ibritumomab tiuxetan); Zetia® (ezetimibe); Orencia® (atacicept, TACI-Ig); anti-CD80 monoclonal antibody (galiximab); anti-CD23 mAb (lumiliximab); BR2-Fc (huBR3 / huFc fusion protein, soluble BAFF antagonist); CNTO 148 (golimumab, anti-TNFα mAb); HGS-ETR1 (mapatuzumab; human anti-TRAIL receptor-1 mAb); HuMax-CD20 (ocrelizumab, anti-CD20 human mAb); HuMax-EGFR (zalutumumab); M200 (volociximab, anti-α5β1 integrin mAb); MDX-010 (ipilimumab, anti-CTLA-4 mAb, and VEGFR-1 (IMC-18F1); anti-BR3 mAbs; anti-C. difficile toxin A and toxin BC mAbs MDX-066 (CDA-1) and MDX-1388; anti-CD22 dsFv-PE38 conjugates (CAT-3888 and CAT-8015); anti-CD25 mAb (HuMax-TAC); anti-CD3 mAb (NI-0401); adecatumumab; anti-CD30 mAb (MDX-060); MDX-1333 (anti-IFNAR); anti-CD38 mAb (HuMax CD38); anti-CD40L mAb; anti-Cripto mAb; anti-CTGF idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis stage 1 fibrogen (FG-3019); anti-CTLA4 mAb; anti-eotaxin 1 mAb (CAT-213); anti-FGF8 mAb; anti-ganglioside GD2 mAb;Anti-ganglioside GM2 mAb;Anti-GDF-8 human mAb (MYO-029);Anti-GM-CSF receptor mAb (CAM-3001);Anti-HepC mAb (HuMax HepC);Anti-IFNα mAb (MEDI-545, MDX-198);Anti-IGF1R mAb;Anti-IGF-1R mAb (HuMax-Inflam);Anti-IL12 mAb (ABT-874); anti-IL12 / IL23 mAb (CNTO 1275); anti-IL13 mAb (CAT-354); anti-IL2Ra mAb (HuMax-TAC); anti-IL5 receptor mAb; anti-integrin receptor mAb (MDX-018, CNTO 95);Anti-IP10 ulcerative colitis mAb (MDX-1100);BMS-66513;Anti-mannose receptor / hCGβ mAb (MDX-1307); anti-mesothelin dsFv-PE38 conjugate (CAT-5001); anti-PD1 mAb (MDX-1106 (ONO-4538)); anti-PDGFRα antibody (IMC-3G3); anti-TGFβ mAb (GC-1008); anti-TRAIL receptor-2 human mAb (HGS-ETR2); anti-TWEAK mAb; anti-VEGFR / Flt-; 1 mAb; and anti-ZP3 mAb (HuMax-ZP3).

[0052] In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used in conjunction with a sclerostin antibody, such as, but not limited to, romosozumab, brosozumab, BPS804 (Novartis), Evenity™ (romosozumab-aqqg), or another product containing romosozumab for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and / or fracture healing, or in other embodiments, a monoclonal antibody (IgG) that binds to human proprotein convertase subtilisin / kexin type 9 (PCSK9). Such PCSK9-specific antibodies include, but are not limited to, Repatha® (evolocumab) and Praluent® (alirocumab). In other embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used in conjunction with rilotumumab, bixalomer, trebananib, ganitumab, conatumumab, motesanib diphosphate, brodalumab, vidupiprant, or panitumumab. In some embodiments, the reservoir of the drug delivery device may be loaded with, or the device may be used in conjunction with, IMLYGIC® (talimogene laherparepvec) or another oncolytic HSV for the treatment of melanoma or other cancers, including but not limited to OncoVEXGALV / CD; OrienX010; G207, 1716; NV1020; NV12023; NV1034; and NV1042. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain, or be used in conjunction with, an endogenous tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP), such as but not limited to TIMP-3. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain, or be used in conjunction with Aimovig® (erenumab-aooe), anti-human CGRP-R (calcitonin gene-related peptide type 1 receptor), or another product containing erenumab for the treatment of migraines. Antagonistic antibodies to the human calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor, such as, but not limited to, erenumab, and bispecific antibody molecules targeting the CGRP receptor and other headache targets, may also be delivered using the drug delivery devices of the present disclosure.In addition, bispecific T cell engager (BiTE®) antibodies, such as but not limited to BLINCYTO® (blinatumomab), can be used in or with the drug delivery device of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with an APJ large molecule agonist, such as but not limited to apelin or an analogue thereof. In some embodiments, a therapeutically effective amount of anti-thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) or a TSLP receptor antibody is used in or with the drug delivery device of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with Avsola™ (infliximab-axxq), an anti-TNFα monoclonal antibody, a biosimilar of Remicade® (infliximab) (Janssen Biotech, Inc.), or another product containing infliximab for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used in conjunction with Kyprolis® (carfilzomib), (2S)-N-((S)-1-((S)-4-methyl-1-((R)-2-methyloxiran-2-yl)-1-oxopentan-2-ylcarbamoyl)-2-phenylethyl)-2-((S)-2-(2-morpholinoacetamido)-4-phenylbutanamido)-4-methylpentanamide, or another product containing carfilzomib for the treatment of multiple myeloma. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used in conjunction with Otezla® (apremilast), N-[2-[(1S)-1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl)ethyl]-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dioxo-1H-isoindol-4-yl]acetamide, or another product containing apremilast for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases.In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used in conjunction with Parsabiv™ (etelcalcetide HCl, KAI-4169) or another product containing etelcalcetide HCl for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT), such as in patients with chronic kidney disease (KD) on hemodialysis. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used in conjunction with ABP 798 (rituximab), a biosimilar candidate of Rituxan® / MabThera™, or another product containing an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used in conjunction with a VEGF antagonist, such as a non-antibody VEGF antagonist, and / or a VEGF trap, such as aflibercept (Ig domain 2 from VEGFR1 and Ig domain 3 from VEGFR2 fused to the Fc domain of IgG1). In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with ABP 959 (eculizumab), a biosimilar candidate of Soliris®, or another product containing a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to complement protein C5. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with rogivafusp alfa (formerly AMG 570), a novel bispecific antibody-peptide conjugate that simultaneously blocks ICOSL and BAFF activity. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with omecamtib mecarbil, a small molecule selective cardiac myosin activator, or myotrope, that directly targets the contractile machinery of the heart, or another product containing a small molecule selective cardiac myosin activator. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain sotorasib (formerly known as AMG 510), a KRAS. G12C Small molecule inhibitors, or KRAS G12CIt may contain or be used with another product containing a small molecule inhibitor. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing tezepelumab, a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the action of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), or a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the action of TSLP. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing AMG 714, a human monoclonal antibody that binds to interleukin-15 (IL-15), or a human monoclonal antibody that binds to interleukin-15 (IL-15). In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing AMG 890, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) that reduces lipoprotein (a), also known as Lp(a), or a small interfering RNA (siRNA) that reduces lipoprotein (a). In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with ABP 654 (human IgG1 kappa antibody), a biosimilar candidate of Stelara®, or another product that contains a human IgG1 kappa antibody and / or binds to the p40 subunit of the human cytokines interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with Amjevita™ or Amgevita™ (formerly ABP 501) (mab anti-TNF human IgG1), a biosimilar candidate of Humira®, or another product that contains a human mab anti-TNF human IgG1. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with AMG 160, or another product that contains a half-life extended (HLE) anti-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) x anti-CD3 BiTE® (bispecific T cell engager) construct. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used in conjunction with another product containing AMG 119 or delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) CAR T (chimeric antigen receptor T cell) cell therapy.In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing AMG 119, or a delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) CAR T (chimeric antigen receptor T cell) cell therapy. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing AMG 133, or a gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor (GIPR) antagonist and a GLP-1R agonist. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing AMG 171, or a growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) analog. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing AMG 176, or a small molecule inhibitor of myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL-1). In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing AMG 199, or a half-life extended (HLE) bispecific T cell engager construct (BiTE®). In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with AMG 256, or another product containing an anti-PD-1 x IL21 mutein and / or an IL-21 receptor agonist designed to selectively activate the interleukin 21 (IL-21) pathway in programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) positive cells. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with AMG 330, or another product containing an anti-CD33 x anti-CD3 BiTE® (bispecific T cell engager) construct. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with AMG 404, or another product containing a human anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody being investigated as a treatment for patients with solid tumors.In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with AMG 427, or another product containing a half-life extended (HLE) anti-fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) x anti-CD3 BiTE® (bispecific T cell engager) construct. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with AMG 430, or another product containing an anti-Jagged-1 monoclonal antibody. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with AMG 506, or another product containing a multispecific FAP x 4-1BB targeted DARPin® biologic being investigated as a treatment for solid tumors. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with AMG 509, or another product containing a bivalent T cell engager and designed using XmAb® 2+1 technology. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain AMG 562, or another product containing a half-life extended (HL. E) The drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing a CD19 x anti-CD3 BiTE® (bispecific T cell engager) construct. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing ephavalukin alpha (formerly AMG 592) or an IL-2 mutein Fc fusion protein. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing AMG 596, or a CD3 x epidermal growth factor receptor vIII (EGFRvIII) BiTE® (bispecific T cell engager) molecule. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with another product containing AMG 673, or a half-life extended (HLE) anti-human CD33 x anti-anti-human CD3 BiTE® (bispecific T cell engager) construct. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with AMG 701 or another product containing a half-life extended (HLE) anti-B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) x anti-CD3 BiTE® (bispecific T cell engager) construct. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with AMG 757 or another product containing a half-life extended (HLE) anti-delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) x anti-CD3 BiTE® (bispecific T cell engager) construct. In some embodiments, the drug delivery device may contain or be used with AMG 910 or another product containing a half-life extended (HLE) epithelial cell tight junction component protein claudin 18.2 x anti-CD3 BiTE® (bispecific T cell engager) construct.

[0053] The drug delivery devices, assemblies, components, subsystems, and methods have been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, but are not limited thereto. This detailed description should be construed as exemplary only and does not describe all possible embodiments of the present disclosure. Various alternative embodiments can be implemented using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, but such embodiments still fall within the scope of the claims that define the invention disclosed herein.

[0054] Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications, alterations, and combinations may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention disclosed herein, and such modifications, alterations, and combinations should be construed as being within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Housing and a primary container disposed within the housing; a drug delivery member fluidly coupled to the primary container, the drug delivery member movable between a retracted position disposed within the housing and an injection position extending at least partially from the housing; a wire having a first end and a second end, the first end being electrically connected to a connection point adjacent the drug delivery member, the connection point being fixed against movement relative to the housing; a controller in communication with the second end of the wire, the controller being configured to receive capacitance information from the wire relating to the drug delivery member at the injection position; a needle insertion mechanism, the drug delivery member extending from the primary container and having an elongate configuration having a proximal end fixed relative to the housing, an intermediate curve, and a distal end, the needle insertion mechanism configured to move at least a portion of the distal end between the retracted position and the injection position, and the first end of the wire fixed to the connection point at the proximal end of the drug delivery member.

2. The drug delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to associate the capacitance information with a depth to which the drug delivery member is inserted into a patient.

3. The drug delivery device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the drug delivery member includes a cannula having an electrically conductive portion, and the connection point is adjacent to the electrically conductive portion of the cannula.

4. The drug delivery device of claim 3 , wherein the conductive portion of the cannula includes a conductive coating extending over at least a portion of an outer surface of the cannula.

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