Patent ID: 7744563

Claim:
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, and a drug storage system having a storage chamber and an outlet, wherein the drug storage system is frangibly connected to the needle-free syringe with the outlet proximate to and fluidly connected with the injection orifice, and the drug storage system is configured to inject a fluid from the storage chamber through the outlet, 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, wherein the activation system includes an actuator that is movable between a first position and a second position, and in the second position the actuator is configured to cause the power source to apply the injection force; and a disabling element configured to prevent movement of the actuator from the first position toward the second position to prevent the activation system from causing the power source to apply the injection force when the drug storage system is frangibly connected to the needle-free syringe, wherein the disabling element is configured to permit application of the injection force when the drug storage system is disconnected from the needle-free syringe, and the disabling element includes a shield element removably disposed on the needle-free injection device and configured to impede access to the activation system when the shield element is disposed on the needle-free injection device.