Stabilized pen injector

A stabilized autoinjector assembly comprising:

• an autoinjector comprising:
• a syringe including a drug container,
• a hollow needle connected to a distal end of the drug container and in fluid communication with an interior of the drug container, and
• a plunger sealing a proximal opening of the drug container;
• a stabilizer comprising:
• an adhesive base having a long axis and a short axis, a first edge and an opposing second edge, and a needle aperture, the first and second edges extending parallel to the long axis, the adhesive base having an aspect ratio of the long axis to the short axis of at least 1.5 to 1, and
• a flexible adhesive skirt extending beyond at least the first edge of the adhesive base, the flexible adhesive skirt extending in a direction of the short axis of the adhesive base further from the first edge of the adhesive base than from the second edge of the adhesive base;
• and
• a pivoting axis extending parallel to the long axis of the base, wherein an adhesive strength the adhesive base is small enough such that when the stabilized autoinjector assembly is pivoted around the pivoting axis, the stabilized autoinjector assembly is pivoted off a skin of a patient without ripping the skin.

A method of injecting a substance into a patient using a stabilized autoinjector assembly, the method comprising:

• (i) obtaining a stabilized autoinjector assembly comprising:
• an autoinjector including a syringe and a needle;
• and
• a stabilizer including:
• an adhesive base having a long axis and a short axis, a first edge and an opposing second edge, and a needle aperture, the first and second edges extending parallel to the long axis, the adhesive base having an aspect ratio of the long axis to the short axis of at least 1.5 to 1, and
• a flexible adhesive skirt extending beyond at least the first edge of the adhesive base, the flexible adhesive skirt extending in a direction of the short axis of the adhesive base further from the first edge of the adhesive base than from the second edge of the adhesive base, and
• a pivoting axis extending parallel to the long axis of the base;
• (ii) fastening the adhesive base of the stabilized autoinjector assembly to a skin of the patient;
• (iii) moving the syringe axially with respect to the adhesive base to insert the needle through the needle aperture of the adhesive base into the patient;
• (iv) discharging the substance from the syringe through the needle into the patient while the stabilized autoinjector assembly remains fastened to the patient;
• and
• (v) pivoting the stabilized autoinjector assembly about the pivoting axis along the skin to unfasten the adhesive base from the patient, wherein an adhesive strength the adhesive base is small enough such that when the stabilized autoinjector assembly is pivoted around the pivoting axis, the stabilized autoinjector assembly is pivoted off the skin of the patient without ripping the skin.

A drug delivery device comprising:

• a preloaded syringe including:
• a sterile hollow needle,
• a barrel in fluid communication with said sterile hollow needle, a distal end of said barrel rigidly attached to said sterile hollow needle,
• a plunger slidingly sealing a proximal end of said barrel, said plunger sliding distally thereby discharging a contents of said barrel out of said hollow needle,
• a flange at a proximal end of said barrel, and
• a needle cover preserving sterility of said sterile hollow needle;
• a proximal housing portion;
• and
• a distal housing portion including:
• a channel fitting said preloaded syringe, said channel including a distal opening large enough for inserting said preloaded syringe into said channel, a proximal opening large enough to allow said sterile hollow needle to protrude from a proximal end of said proximal housing portion, and an adhesive base for fastening said distal housing portion to a skin of a patient, the adhesive base including a needle aperture, and
• an activation device including:
• a handle accessible from outside of said channel,
• an attachment mechanism exposed to said channel, such that when said preloading syringe is fully inserted into said channel, said attachment mechanism attaches to said needle cover,
• a coupler passing through the needle aperture in said adhesive base and connecting said handle to said attachment mechanism, and
• an adhesive cover for said adhesive base connected to said handle by an extender for peeling said adhesive cover from said adhesive base.

A method of manufacturing an autoinjector comprising;

• supplying a preloaded syringe including a sterile needle and a needle cover, a preassembled distal housing portion including an adhesive base on a distal end thereof and a channel for insertion of said preloaded syringe, and a proximal housing portion including a motor and a transmission;
• supplying an activation device including:
• a handle accessible from outside of said channel,
• an attachment mechanism exposed to said channel, such that when said preloading syringe is fully inserted into said channel, said attachment mechanism attaches to said needle cover,
• an adhesive cover for said adhesive base connected to said handle by an extender for peeling said adhesive cover from said adhesive base, and
• a coupler passing through a needle aperture in said adhesive base and connecting said handle to said attachment mechanism, such that removing said needle cover also peels said adhesive cover from said adhesive base;
• sliding said preloaded syringe longitudinally through an opening in a proximal end of said distal housing portion into said channel;
• joining, by an axial motion, a distal end of said proximal housing portion to a proximal end of said distal housing portion thereby connecting said transmission to a plunger of said preloaded syringe.