Patent ID: 8684978

Claim:
An apparatus for delivering a quantity of medication to bone marrow of a bone comprising: a driver assembly; a plunger operating and cartridge drive mechanism rotatably engaged with the driver assembly; a removable cartridge assembly including a plunger and a drive connector attached to the cartridge assembly, the drive connector operable to be releasably engaged with one end of the plunger operating and cartridge drive mechanism and operable to be rotated by the plunger operating and cartridge drive mechanism; a bone penetrating needle engaged with the cartridge assembly opposite from the drive connector, wherein rotation of the cartridge assembly inserts the bone penetrating needle into the bone and bone marrow; a plunger operating assembly including a first retracted position and a second released position; a retractable sleeve operable to slide longitudinally relative to the plunger operating and cartridge drive mechanism, the retractable sleeve having a distal end through which the bone penetrating needle is configured to be inserted into the bone and bone marrow and through which the removable cartridge assembly can be inserted or removed; and a latch assembly operable to release the plunger operating assembly from the first retracted position to the second released position in response to rotation of the plunger operating and cartridge drive mechanism and longitudinal movement of the retractable sleeve.