Patent ID: 8529540

Claim:
A method for operating an auto-injector which comprises the steps of: mounting a fluid reservoir on a housing formed with an interior; loading a plurality of sterile needles onto the housing; moving a sterile needle to a location in the housing to present the sterile needle for fluid communication engagement through a connector with the fluid reservoir, wherein the connector includes a flex hose having a spike to establish fluid communication between the connector and the fluid reservoir; positioning the housing against an injection site on the patient; connecting the fluid reservoir to the connector by inserting the spike of the flex hose into a septum covering the fluid reservoir; accelerating a driver rod into contact with the connector to engage the connector with the needle to establish a connector/needle combination for fluid communication between the needle and said fluid reservoir; transferring momentum from the drive rod to the connector/needle combination, in response to the accelerating step, to move the connector/needle combination, relative to the fluid reservoir, from the location and insert the needle into the patient; ejecting fluid from said fluid reservoir and through said needle for injecting the fluid into the patient; withdrawing the connector/needle combination by moving the connector/needle combination relative to the fluid reservoir; and disconnecting the used needle from said connector for storage of the needle in the interior of said housing.