Drug delivery system

A drug delivery device comprising:

• (i) a housing including an upper barrel and a lower barrel;
• (ii) a means for generating a force capable of pushing a drug from a packaging into a human or animal body;
• (iii) said lower barrel (30) being at an end remote from said upper barrel which includes a means (20) for transmitting said force to push the drug (16) from the packaging (18) into the human or animal body, a sliding piston (48) and a means (22) for slidably receiving a packaged drug (100) configured such that a packaged drug attached thereto can slide within the device and act against said piston in the device to prime it;
• and
• (iv) a means for triggering the device wherein said force generating means and said force transmitting means are configured to push the drug from the packaging into the human or animal body at a velocity of less than 20 m/s;
• (v) the means for generating the force capable of pushing the drug is a spring;
• and
• (vi) a spring follower.

A drug delivery device comprising:

• (i) a housing including an upper barrel and a lower barrel;
• (ii) a means for generating a force capable of pushing a drug from a packaging into a human or animal body;
• (iii) said upper barrel being at one end of the device;
• (iv) said upper barrel housing the force generating means;
• (v) said lower barrel (30) being at a second end of the device remote from said upper barrel which includes a means (20) for transmitting said force to push the drug (16) from the packaging (18) into the human or animal body, a sliding piston (48) and a means (22) for slidably receiving a packaged drug (100) configured such that a packaged drug attached thereto can slide within the device and act against said piston in the device to prime it;
• (vi) a means for triggering the device wherein said force generating means and said force transmitting means are configured to push the drug from the packaging into the human or animal body at a velocity of less than 20 m/s;
• (vii) said lower barrel being in operative communication with said upper barrel and said packaged drug;
• (viii) wherein the packaged drug is slidably disposed in said lower barrel and comprises a packaging containing a drug, said packaging comprising a two-piece housing having a channel running there through in which is disposed a drive pin or other element, a skin piercing means and the drug;
• said two-piece housing further comprising i) a region allowing the packaged drug to be slidably mounted to the drug delivery device at receiving means;
• and ii) an end adapted to engage and tension the skin;
• and
• (ix) wherein the packaged drug and striker are slidably mounted in the device such that the device can be primed by pushing the device against the skin.

A drug delivery device comprising:

• (i) a housing including an upper barrel and a lower barrel;
• (ii) a means for generating a force capable of pushing a drug from a packaging into a human or animal body;
• (iii) said upper barrel being at one end of the device;
• (iv) said upper barrel housing the force generating means;
• (v) said lower barrel (30) being at a second end remote from said upper barrel which includes a means (20) for transmitting said force to push the drug (16) from the packaging (18) into the human or animal body, a sliding piston (48) and a means (22) for slidably receiving a packaged drug (100) configured such that a packaged drug attached thereto can slide within the device and act against said piston in the device to prime it;
• (vi) a means for triggering the device wherein said force generating means and said force transmitting means are configured to push the drug from the packaging into the human or animal body at a velocity of less than 20 m/s;
• (vii) said lower barrel being in operative communication with said upper barrel and said packaged drug;
• and
• (viii) wherein the packaged drug is slidably disposed in said lower barrel and comprises a packaging containing a drug, said packaging comprising a two-piece housing having a channel running there through in which is disposed a drive pin or other element, a skin piercing means and the drug;
• said two-piece housing further comprising i) a region allowing the packaged drug to be slidably mounted to the drug delivery device at receiving means;
• and ii) an end adapted to engage and tension the skin;
• and
• (ix) wherein the means for transmitting the force is a striker;
• (x) wherein a region of the striker is shaped to fit a correspondingly shaped surface in a wall separating said upper and lower barrels defined by the housing such that the striker is aligned to strike the drive pin or other element in the packaged drug on actuation
• (xi) wherein the striker comprises a substantially frustoconical shoulder region which engages a substantially frustoconical surface in the wall separating said upper and lower barrels defined by said housing;
• and
• (xii) wherein the sliding piston has an aperture therein and the device comprises a slewing spring and the striker, all housed in said lower barrel, the device being triggered by the sliding of the piston up said lower barrel until the shoulder region of the striker engages the shaped surface and aligns the striker with the aperture in the sliding piston such that the striker moves down the aperture under the action of the force generating means.