Drug delivery devices with partial drug delivery member retraction

A method for operating a drug delivery device having a primary container assembly including a reservoir, a plunger stopper disposed within the reservoir, and a drug delivery member fluidly coupled to the reservoir by a flow path and a drug dispensing assembly including a plunger rod and a drive operably coupled to the plunger rod, the method comprising:

• operating a motor with a controller to insert the drug delivery member to a subcutaneous location;
• operating the drive with the controller to drive the plunger stopper through the reservoir with the plunger rod;
• measuring force data associated with dispensing a drug from the reservoir through the drug delivery member to an injection cavity at the subcutaneous location with a force sensor coupled to the drug dispensing assembly;
• determining with the controller whether the force data indicates a force greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold;
• and
• operating the motor with the controller to partially retract the drug delivery member in response to determining that the force data indicates that a force greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold.

A drug delivery device comprising:

• a housing having an interior;
• a primary container assembly at least partially received within the interior of the housing, the primary container assembly including a reservoir having a sidewall defining an interior, a plunger stopper disposed within the interior of the reservoir, and a drug delivery member fluidly coupled to the reservoir by a flow path, at least the drug delivery member of the primary container assembly being movable from a stored position to an inserted position in a subcutaneous location;
• an insertion drive operably coupled to the drug delivery member;
• a drug dispensing assembly including a plunger rod and a dispensing drive operably coupled to the plunger rod;
• a retraction drive operably coupled to the drug delivery member;
• and
• a controller in communication with the insertion, dispensing, and retraction drives, the controller configured to:
• operate the insertion drive to insert the drug delivery member to the subcutaneous location;
• operate the dispensing drive to drive the plunger stopper through the reservoir with the plunger rod;
• and
• operate the retraction drive to partially retract the drug delivery member from the inserted position to a partially retracted position in response to an event.