Disposable infusion device with automatically releasable cannula driver

1. An infusion system comprising:

a disposable wearable infusion device having a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin and a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient through a cannula extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin; and

a cannula driver arranged to be detachably joined with the infusion device and including the cannula, the cannula driver being arranged to drive the cannula into the device and to a deployed position extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin, the cannula driver including a release mechanism that forcibly releases the cannula driver from the infusion device after the cannula is in the deployed position, wherein the driver includes an actuator that, when actuated, enables the driving of the cannula to the deployed position and the release of the cannula driver from the infusion device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the driver includes a latch that maintains the driver joined with the infusion device, and wherein the actuation of the actuator releases the latch.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the driver includes at least one urging member that forces the release of the driver from the infusion device when the latch is released.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the infusion device body includes a plurality of pockets, wherein the driver includes a like plurality of projections that are received by the pockets to join the driver with the infusion device, and wherein the at least one urging member causes the projections to be released from the pockets when the latch is released.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one urging member comprises at least one spring.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the driver further includes a safety control which precludes the actuation of the actuator until the safety control is placed into an enable configuration.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the safety control is arranged to be locked in the enable configuration.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the safety control is further arranged to be placed into the enable configuration with a snap action.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the safety control is movable from an initial configuration to the enable configuration and further comprises at least one leg, the leg having a projection, the actuator having a slot, the projection biased toward and into the slot when the safety control is in the initial configuration, the projection being forced out of the slot and along the actuator as the safety control is moved from the initial configuration to the enable configuration, the leg and projection snapping about the actuator when the safety control reaches the enable configuration to lock the safety control in the enable configuration, the safety control preventing actuation of the driver when in the initial configuration and permitting actuation of the driver when in the enable configuration.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the driver includes a lock that locks the actuator after the actuator is actuated.

11. A cannula deployment apparatus for use with an infusion device having a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin and a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient through a cannula extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin, the apparatus comprising:

the cannula to be deployed; and

a cannula driver arranged to be detachably joined with the infusion device and to drive the cannula into the device and to a deployed position extending from the infusion device body to beneath the patient's skin, the cannula driver including a release mechanism that forcibly releases the cannula driver from the infusion device after the cannula is in the deployed position, wherein the driver includes an actuator that, when actuated, enables the driving of the cannula to the deployed position and the release of the cannula driver from the infusion device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the driver includes a latch that maintains the driver joined with the infusion device, and wherein the actuation of the actuator releases the latch.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the driver includes at least one urging member that forces the release of the driver from the infusion device when the latch is released.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the infusion device body includes a plurality of pockets, wherein the driver includes a like plurality of projections that are received by the pockets to join the driver with the infusion device, and wherein the at least one urging member causes the projections to be released from the pockets when the latch is released.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one urging member comprises at least one spring.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the driver further includes a safety control which precludes the engagement of the actuator until the safety control is placed into an enable configuration.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the safety control is arranged to be locked in the enable configuration.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the safety control is further arranged to be placed into the enable configuration with a snap action.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the driver includes a lock that locks the actuator after the actuator is actuated.