Filling assist mechanisms and keyed interfaces for drug delivery devices

Abstract

Systems, components, and methods are disclosed for withdrawing drug from a liquid drug container and transferring drug to a medical device. One or more components may have keying features so that only the correct liquid drug container and medical device are accessed, making sure the medical device is filled with the correct drug. A syringe needle hub may have keying features corresponding to keying features on a cap on the liquid drug container and on the medical device. An alignment device facilitates easy-to-operate filling of a medical device. The alignment device aligns a liquid drug container over a fill port of the medical device and can include components for moving the liquid drug container into engagement with the medical device and for automatically initiating drug transfer to the medical device. A retractable skirt or needle cover protects the needle and is unlocked only when the skirt or needle cover is close to or touching the medical device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a base; and   an arm extending from the base, wherein:
 the base includes a nest adapted for accepting a drug delivery device having a fill port, the arm is adapted to retain a syringe having a needle tip, and the base and arm are arranged such when a medical device is positioned in the nest of the base and a syringe is positioned in the arm, the needle tip of the syringe is vertically aligned with the fill port of the drug delivery device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the arm is rotatable. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the nest in the base is adapted for accepting the drug delivery device in an upside-down position so as to expose the fill port to the needle tip. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the nest is shaped to stabilize the drug delivery device when the drug delivery device is positioned in the nest. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a safety device, the safety device including:
 a skirt body having an inner shell and an outer shell; 
 a skirt coupled to the skirt body, the skirt positioned below the skirt body, a first portion of the skirt positioned between the inner and outer shells of the skirt body, a second portion extending beyond the skirt body; and 
 a spring, the spring positioned over the skirt and between the inner and outer shells of the skirt body. 
   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the skirt comprises at least one latch configured to couple and retain the skirt to the skirt body. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the skirt body comprises an opening corresponding to the at least one latch. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the safety device is adapted to be coupled to a syringe having a needle, and in a first latched position in which the at least one latch is positioned in the corresponding opening, the skirt surrounds the needle to prevent exposure of the needle, and the skirt extends beyond the end of the needle by a first distance. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein in a second unlatched position in which the at least one latch is deflected inward, the skirt body can move downward relative to the skirt, allowing the needle to extend beyond an end of the skirt by a second distance. 
     
     
         10 . A system for controlling access to a septum of a container of liquid medication, the system comprising:
 a cap attached to a container of liquid medication having a septum, wherein the cap surrounds the septum and defines an opening; and   a moveable feature disposed within a cavity of the cap and covering the septum in a first state such that access to the septum is blocked; and   a needle hub, wherein the needle hub is configured to cause the moveable feature to move such that access to the septum is permitted in response to the needle hub being received in the cavity.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a feature disposed on an inner sidewall of the cap configured for mating with a corresponding feature on the needle hub, wherein the feature prevents a needle hub not having the corresponding feature from being inserted into the cap.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the moveable feature comprises an iris configured for opening in response to rotational motion of the needle hub. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the cap comprises a cam configured for translating linear motion of the needle hub into rotational motion and the moveable feature comprises an iris configured for opening in response to the rotational motion. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the moveable feature comprises a bendable feature comprising a pass-through point and configured to align the pass-through point over the septum in response to a force applied by the needle hub. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the moveable feature comprises a plurality of bendable features, wherein each of the plurality of bendable features includes a pass-through point and is configured to align the pass-through point over the septum in response to a force applied by the needle hub. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the moveable feature comprises a magnetic feature configured to slide in a housing in response to an applied magnetic field. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the moveable feature comprises a slanted arm that moves when the needle hub contacts it. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the slanted arm moves by flexing or pivoting on a hinge. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the moveable feature comprises:
 a door that opens when the needle hub and cap are fully mated.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a spring configured to close the door when the needle hub and cap are unmated.