Patent ID: 8480672

Claim:
An apparatus for introducing a bone portal into a bone, the apparatus comprising: a handle, a carrier assembly slidably mounted to the handle, the carrier assembly comprising a driving member projecting in a proximal direction, and a release mechanism comprising: a deformable member arranged in a path of the carrier assembly, the deformable member comprising two surfaces movable relative to one another by deforming the deformable member from an initial configuration to a deformed configuration wherein, in the initial configuration, the deformable member prevents the carrier assembly from sliding relative to the handle past the deformable member in a distal direction opposite to the proximal direction, and in the deformed configuration the deformable member no longer prevents the carrier assembly from sliding past the deformable member in the distal direction relative to the handle; a bone probe extending in the proximal direction and movable in the distal direction relative to the deformable member; and another member coupled to move in response to motion of the bone probe and engaged between the two surfaces of the deformable member, the another member when so engaged holding the two surfaces of the deformable member apart and thereby preventing the deformable member from deforming from the initial configuration of the deformable member to the deformed configuration of the deformable member; wherein the another member is movable out from between the two surfaces of the deformable member in response to movement of the bone probe in the distal direction to thereby permit the deformable member to deform to the deformed configuration and permit the carrier assembly to slide in the distal direction relative to the handle.