Patent ID: 7942843

Claim:
A device for inserting into body tissue an implant with a medical function, with a channel passing at least partly through the implant, the device comprising: a cannulus with a distal end, and with a channel sized to hold the implant; a pusher with a channel passing through the pusher, the pusher sized to be situated inside the channel of the cannulus behind the implant, and adapted to push the implant through the distal end of the cannulus into the tissue; and a restraining element that extends through the channel of the pusher and at least partly through the channel of the implant when they are so situated in the channel of the cannulus, which is configured to couple with the implant to restrain the implant within the cannulus, and is further configured to couple with the implant to allow the implant to exit the distal end of the cannulus when the implant is pushed with a force small enough so as not to damage the function of the implant in the tissue; wherein the channel of the implant extends all the way through the implant, wherein the restraining element has a distal end that extends past the distal end of the implant when the implant and pusher are so situated, but not past the distal end of the cannulus, and the distal end of the restraining element restrains the implant from sliding off the restraining element, and wherein the distal and of the restraining element bends to one side, but is flexible enough to straighten sufficiently so that the implant can slide off the distal end of the restraining element, when the implant is pushed with said force.