Needle-free injection devices and drug delivery systems therefor

A needle-free injection device, comprising:

• a drug delivery system, including:
• a needle-free syringe having an injection chamber and a plunger slidably disposed within the injection chamber, wherein the injection chamber includes an injection orifice and the plunger is configured to expel a volume of fluid from the injection chamber through the injection orifice,
• a drug storage system having a storage chamber and an outlet, wherein the storage chamber is configured to inject a fluid from the storage chamber through the outlet, through the injection orifice, and into the injection chamber, and
• a frangible connector configured to retain the drug storage system proximate the needle-free syringe with the outlet proximate to and fluidly connected with the injection orifice;
• a power source configured to apply an injection force to the plunger to expel the volume of fluid from the injection chamber through the injection orifice;
• an activation system configured to selectively cause the power source to apply the injection force, wherein the activation system includes a driver that is movable from a first position toward a second position, the driver is biased toward the second position, the driver is releasably retained in the first position, and in the second position the driver is configured to cause the power source to apply the injection force;
• and
• an activation preventing element configured to prevent the activation system from causing the power source to apply the injection force when the frangible connector is retaining the drug storage system proximate the needle-free syringe, wherein the activation preventing element is configured to permit the activation system to cause the power source to apply the injection force when the frangible connector has been broken, and the activation preventing element includes a shield element removably disposed on the needle-free injection device and configured to prevent movement of the driver from the first position toward the second position when the shield element is disposed on the needle-free injection device.

A needle-free injection device, comprising:

• a drug delivery system, including:
• a needle-free syringe having an injection chamber and a plunger slidably disposed within the injection chamber, wherein the injection chamber includes an injection orifice and the plunger is configured to expel a volume of fluid from the injection chamber through the injection orifice,
• a drug storage system having a storage chamber and an outlet, wherein the storage chamber is configured to eject a fluid from the storage chamber through the outlet, through the injection orifice, and into the injection chamber, and
• a frangible connector configured to retain the drug storage system proximate the needle-free syringe with the outlet proximate to and fluidly connected with the injection orifice, wherein the frangible connector includes a valve disposed between the outlet and the injection orifice, and the fluid ejected from the storage chamber through the outlet opens the valve and passes through the valve, through the injection orifice, and into the injection chamber;
• a power source configured to apply an injection force to the plunger to expel the volume of fluid from the injection chamber through the injection orifice;
• an activation system configured to selectively cause the power source to apply the injection force;
• and
• an activation preventing element configured to prevent the activation system from causing the power source to apply the injection force when the frangible connector is retaining the drug storage system proximate the needle-free syringe, wherein the activation preventing element is configured to permit the activation system to cause the power source to apply the injection force when the frangible connector has been broken.

A drug delivery system for a needle-free injection device, the drug delivery system comprising:

• a needle-free syringe including an injection chamber and an injection plunger slidably disposed within the injection chamber, wherein the injection chamber includes an injection orifice, and the injection plunger is configured to expel a volume of fluid from the injection chamber through the injection orifice;
• a drug storage system including a storage chamber, an outlet and an ejection plunger, wherein the ejection plunger is configured to eject a fluid from the storage chamber through the outlet;
• and
• a connector configured to retain the drug storage system proximate the needle-free syringe with the outlet proximate the injection orifice, the connector including:
• a first connecting region configured to retain the connector to the drug storage system proximate the outlet,
• a second connecting region configured to retain the connector to the needle-free syringe proximate the injection orifice,
• a fluid path configured to fluidly connect the outlet and the injection orifice,
• a valve configured to interrupt the fluid path proximate the outlet, wherein the fluid ejected from the storage chamber through the outlet passes through the valve, through the injection orifice, and into the injection chamber, and
• a stress riser configured to assist with separation of the first and second connecting regions and to permit separation of the drug storage system from the needle-free syringe when the connector is broken proximate the stress riser.