HUMALOG/HUMULIN INSULIN PEN FOR LILLYHumalog/Humulin insulin pen for Lilly

Disposable prefilled insulin injector

  • Project Date: 1997

Humalog/Humulin insulin pen

Because of the need for several insulin injections each day, an easy delivery method can enhance the life of people with diabetes. Eli Lilly saw great potential for a device that allowed users to maintain an active lifestyle by making injections quick and unobtrusive. The result is a simple and safe penlike device that can be carried in a purse or pocket for up to a month.

The IDEO Chicago team improved many aspects of earlier designs. All interaction is performed with a single large knob, and the mechanism guides the user through dose delivery while allowing corrections and preventing errors. Designed to be made in hundreds of millions each year, the new Lilly pen is the first disposable pen to offer single-unit doses and is the only 3-ml pre-filled disposable insulin delivery device available in the US.