Patent ID: 7335155

Claim:
An apparatus for delivering a pellet formulation into a body comprising: a cannula including an insertion end for insertion into the body and a channel to store the formulation comprising pellets abutted to each other end to end within the channel; a flexible rod to insert into an end of the cannula opposite the insertion end, the flexible rod having one end to contact the pellet formulation and having another end; and an index wheel that rotates about an axis that advances the flexible rod in length increments to advance the pellets through the channel of the cannula to deliver the formulation through the insertion end of the cannula, wherein at least part of the flexible rod is disposed about a curved track and the index wheel has one or more knobs and a toothed wheel coupled to the index wheel to engage the rod in the curved track and move the flexible rod laterally along the curved track in a predetermined distance upon rotation of one or more knobs of the index wheel by the operator; and a body in which the index wheel is disposed, wherein the body includes a plurality of windows disposed along the track, at least one of which windows is marked to indicate a number of units that remain in the cannula, and the other end of the flexible rod is visible from outside the body via one of the plurality of windows.