Patent ID: 7578823

Claim:
A tool for delivery of bone growth material to an operative site, comprising: a mounting member including an elongated passage extending longitudinally therethrough between a proximal end and an opposite distal end of said mounting member, said mounting member including a distal mounting portion at said distal end and said passage includes a distal end opening at said distal end; a housing removably mounted to said distal mounting portion of said mounting member, said housing including a sidewall extending about a longitudinal axis, said sidewall defining a loading chamber and a dispensing chamber distal of said loading chamber, said housing further including an access port in said sidewall in communication with said loading chamber, said access port configured to receive bone growth material for depositing in said loading chamber, said housing further including a proximal end wall through which said loading chamber opens, wherein said proximal end wall of said housing is positioned distally of said distal end of said mounting member when said housing is mounted thereto; bone growth material in said loading chamber; and a driver engaged to said mounting member and said driver extends proximally of said proximal end of said mounting member and into said passage of said mounting member and distally through said distal end opening of said passage and through said proximal end wall of said housing with a distal end portion of said driver received in said loading chamber, said driver being longitudinally movable in said loading chamber to displace bone growth material therein toward a distal end of said dispensing chamber, wherein said distal mounting portion of said mounting member includes a first pair of fingers defining a first U-shaped receptacle on one side of said longitudinal axis and a second pair of fingers defining a second U-shaped receptacle on an opposite side of said longitudinal axis, and said housing includes a flange extending from said proximal end wall, said flange extending between a pair of arms, said pair of arms extending from said flange on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis, each of said arms being slidably positioned in respective ones of said first and second receptacles with said flange in contact with said distal mounting portion of said mounting member.