Local disinfection for prefilled drug delivery system

Apparatus for delivering a therapeutic substance to a subject, the apparatus comprising:

• a therapeutic substance delivery device:
• (a) comprising a sterile fluid path for delivering the therapeutic substance to the subject, the sterile fluid path comprising a needle at an upstream end of the sterile fluid path and an injection assembly at a downstream end of the sterile fluid path, and
• (b) configured to engage with a prefilled therapeutic substance reservoir, such that when the therapeutic substance delivery device and the reservoir are engaged with one another a disinfection chamber is defined between the sterile fluid path and the reservoir, the needle being configured to penetrate the disinfection chamber and subsequently the reservoir when the therapeutic substance delivery device and the reservoir are engaged with one another, such that fluid communication is established between the reservoir and the sterile fluid path;
• a disinfection assembly disposed within the therapeutic substance delivery device and configured to disinfect the disinfection chamber prior to the needle penetrating the disinfection chamber;
• and
• control circuitry configured to (a) activate the disinfection assembly, (b) terminate the activation of the disinfection assembly, and subsequently (c) drive the needle to penetrate the disinfection chamber and subsequently the reservoir.