Fluid-connection mechanism and methods for patch-pumps

A method of delivering a drug, the method comprising:

• removing a pin from a patch-pump assembly to automatically cause a penetrator to penetrate a seal of a prefilled drug-reservoir, the patch-pump assembly comprising the penetrator, the prefilled drug-reservoir, a fluid-passageway, a cannula-containing assembly, and a spring-based mechanism;
• flowing the drug from the prefilled drug-reservoir to the fluid-passageway;
• establishing fluid communication between the fluid-passageway and the cannula-containing assembly using the spring-based mechanism;
• flowing the drug from the fluid-passageway to the cannula-containing assembly;
• and
• delivering the drug subcutaneously to a subject using the cannula-containing assembly.

A method of delivering a drug to a subject, the method comprising using a selectively activatable patch-pump assembly to deliver the drug to the subject, the selectively activatable patch-pump assembly comprising:

• a sealed prefilled drug-reservoir containing the drug;
• a fluid-passageway in connection therewith, wherein the fluid-passageway is free of the drug;
• a selectively activatable penetrator which penetrates said sealed prefilled drug-reservoir and facilitates drug access to said fluid-passageway;
• and
• a selectively activatable, associated, cannula-containing assembly for delivering a drug subcutaneously to a subject, in fluid connection with said fluid-passageway;
• a first spring-based mechanism,
• wherein a selective activation-step initiates penetration of said sealed prefilled drug-reservoir;
• a structure preventing the inadvertent activation of said selectively activatable patch-pump assembly, the structure configured such that:
• removing or releasing the structure from said selectively activatable patch-pump assembly is the selective activation-step, and
• removing or releasing the structure from said selectively activatable patch-pump assembly automatically causes the first spring-based mechanism to propel said selectively activatable penetrator through said fluid-passageway to penetrate said sealed prefilled drug-reservoir, establishing fluid communication between said sealed prefilled drug-reservoir and said fluid-passageway;
• wherein said sealed prefilled drug-reservoir is stationary relative to a central longitudinal axis defined by the cannula-containing assembly during initiation of penetration and during penetration of the sealed prefilled drug-reservoir by the selectively activatable penetrator.