the present invention includes devices for penetrating soft - tissue and bone , for forming a conduit to bone marrow , for facilitating withdrawal of marrow , for containing harvested marrow , and for combining harvested marrow with further materials or devices . an embodiment of an aspiration device of the present invention includes a tip , housing , and suction conduit . the device may further include a cartridge or cap . the tip may include needle 110 , catheter 120 , and housing coupler 130 . in one embodiment , housing 200 may contain cartridge 300 , may have a cap 400 , and is ergonomically formed for human hand use . housing 200 may be clear for viewing tissue . suction conduit 410 is preferably formed to have a sharp tube for penetrating cartridge 300 at a first end and a connector for suction line 610 at a second end . cap 400 may be removable from housing 200 and may contain suction conduit 410 . in an embodiment of a catheter / needle combination tip , needle 110 and catheter 120 operate together to open and close needle side - port 100 . needle side - port 100 may also be described as a hole , or a slot into needle bore 150 . catheter 120 and needle 110 are of similar length and form two concentric tubes when assembled . when rotated or translated in relation to each other , ports become aligned allowing aspiration to occur . catheter 120 may have an angled cut 190 at the tip , and needle 110 has a trocar cutting closed end tip 160 with side - port 100 near closed end 160 . the outer surface of the closed end of the needle is formed with a trocar cutting tip 160 . when assembled , needle 110 runs within catheter 120 . when rotated , needle side - port 100 moves between an open position and a closed position as the side - port rotates from the open to closed side of catheter angled cut tip 190 . when closed , needle 110 and catheter 120 form a sharp cutting tip . when needle 110 and catheter 120 are rotated or translated with respect to each other , an opening forms a notch which increases in area with rotation and translation until the maximum bore area is exposed . when rotated or translated , catheter 120 tends to clear tissue from the inner - running needle side - port 100 . together catheter 120 and needle 110 act with the housing coupler 130 to form a closeable conduit into housing 200 and a sharp surgical instrument at the tip of the aspiration device . a further embodiment of a catheter / needle combination tip is demonstrated in fig6 a - 6 d where catheter 121 has catheter trocar tip 111 and catheter side - port 101 ; needle 112 has needle side - port 100 and needle end - port 102 . needle 113 having end - port 102 is also used with catheter 121 ; needle 113 may have end - port 102 cut at an angle or straight cut . housing coupler 130 joins catheter 120 and needle 110 to housing 200 , provides for rotational movement of needle 110 relative to catheter 120 , and forms a conduit from needle bore 150 into housing 200 or cartridge 300 . when housing 200 is fitted with cartridge 300 , housing coupler 130 sharply protrudes into housing 200 so as to penetrate cartridge 300 and form a direct path for fluid flow from needle 110 tip to the inside of cartridge 300 . housing coupler 130 may be integral to housing 200 or , when a separate component , may be coupled to housing 200 using quick couple fittings , threads , glue , or a press - fitted structure , for example . needle bore 150 and housing coupler 130 may be constructed so as to form an arrowhead - like structure at the housing end of needle 110 ; the arrowhead - like structure may include a structure to assist in penetrating penetrable barrier 340 . housing 200 is preferably elongated , has housing bore 210 , is able to be coupled to a needle / catheter combination tip on a first end , and is open on a second end . the housing exterior may be formed for being handheld . housing 200 may be clear for tissue 30 viewing , or may have graduations so as to measure the volume of collected tissue 30 . housing 200 is designed to be used with or without a cartridge 300 . a cap 400 or tissue processing accessory 370 and mixing apparatus 380 can be secured to the open end of the housing or one end of cartridge 300 . housing 200 may be designed to receive cartridge 300 into bore 210 . when used with cartridge 300 ; housing 200 , cartridge 300 , and cap 400 interact so as to rotate the biomaterial to facilitate mixing with the aspirated marrow . cap 400 is removable from housing 200 , and provides a suction conduit 410 for applying suction to housing 200 or to cartridge 300 . suction conduit 410 penetrates cartridge 300 at a first end and connects to a suction line 610 with a second end . cap 400 has tabs , slots , or similar structures to engage cartridge 300 . such structures allow cap 400 and cartridge 300 to be movably fastened so as to allow cartridge 300 rotation and translation within housing 200 . cartridge 300 can be used with cap 400 containing a filter or baffle system in suction conduit 410 to remove any semisolid tissue 30 from the suction port bore 420 . cartridge 300 fits into housing 200 and is engaged by cap 400 . counter - rotation of cap 400 and housing 200 turns cartridge 300 within housing 200 . this rotational feature enhances mixing and is the preferred configuration for driving the cartridge 300 for mixing a biomaterial with the aspirated marrow . a further embodiment is a mixing apparatus 380 that can be inserted or incorporated into cartridge 300 . cartridge 300 is preferably elongated so as to fit into housing bore 210 , has removable , movable , and penetrable end caps 310 or 320 . said end caps are removable for filling and removal of harvested tissue . end cap 310 can be movable so as to facilitate mixing or pushing out of harvested tissue 30 . end caps may have penetrable barriers 340 so as to allow the sharp needle bore 150 of the combination tip or the sharp suction conduit 410 to enter the cartridge 300 . cartridge 300 may be clear to observe and measure harvested tissue 30 , and may have graduations . preferably , cartridge 300 is sterile . end caps 310 and 320 may be penetrable and self - sealing . after harvest of bone marrow aspirate , cartridge 300 may be used with a dispenser that receives cartridge 300 and acts on movable end cap 310 so as to push tissue 30 from cartridge bore 330 . further embodiments include an aspiration device without cartridge 300 ; a further catheter / needle combination tip having a similar mode of operation where catheter 121 has catheter side - port 101 and catheter trocar tip 111 , while needle 112 has needle side - port 100 and needle end - port 102 ; a tissue processing accessory 370 and mixing apparatus 380 for housing 200 or cartridge 300 ; or housing compartment , cartridge biomaterial compartment 350 or cap compartments with an internal penetrable barrier 360 for agent or solid biomaterial 500 storage until mixing . rotational catheter coupler 130 , translational catheter coupler 133 or combined rotational and translational catheter coupler 135 facilitate movement of the needle within the catheter to open a side - port or end - port and couple the catheter needle assembly to the housing or other accessory such as syringe , suction line 610 or other source of vacuum to facilitate the harvest of bone marrow . the catheter / needle combination tip and bone marrow aspiration device is used during surgery to obtain bone marrow . the tip of the device is pushed through soft - tissue and cortical bone of the ilium 20 , for example ; the device is operated so as to open bore 150 of needle 110 and used with suction to draw bone marrow up needle 110 and into housing 200 or cartridge 300 . in conventional practice , an empty cartridge is inserted into the housing to collect bone marrow for storage or in vitro processing . a cartridge containing a biomaterial or a biologically active agent is used for the combining of harvested marrow with such biomaterial or active agent . the biomaterial or active agent may be a conductive matrix from the list including but not limited to formulations of calcium sulfate , calcium carbonate , calcium phosphate , collagen , human cadaver tissue and their mixtures or therapeutic agent from the list including but not limited to bone morphogenic proteins , transforming growth factor , platelet derived growth factor , fibroblast growth factor , heparin , or living cell seeded system . to operate the aspiration device , cap 400 is removed , a cartridge 300 is inserted into housing 200 , cap 400 is then placed on housing 200 so as to engage cartridge 300 and penetrate cartridge barrier 340 with tip needle bore 150 and cap suction conduit 410 . once cap 400 is secure on housing 200 , suction hose 610 is attached to suction conduit 410 . needle 110 and catheter 120 are then oriented so as to close needle side - port 100 and form a cutting end with needle trocar tip 160 and catheter angle cut tip 190 . the aspiration device can then be introduced into a body . the catheter / needle combination cutting tip of the aspiration device is pushed through skin and cortical bone until the tip and needle side - port 100 are within cancellous bone and bone marrow tissue 10 . in a particular embodiment , catheter 120 is turned so as to open needle side port 100 to allow suctioning of fluid into needle 110 and into housing 200 or cartridge 300 . during movement of fluid into cartridge 300 , cap 400 can be rotated with respect to housing 200 so as to turn and mix a solid biomaterial 500 or active agent with harvested marrow tissue 30 . once marrow tissue 30 has been collected in housing 200 or cartridge 300 , needle 110 and catheter 120 are reoriented so as to close needle side - port 100 . once needle side - port 100 is closed , the aspiration device is repositioned within cancellous bone and marrow tissue 10 or withdrawn from the body . suction line 610 is then removed , and cap 400 is removed . tissue 30 may be withdrawn from cartridge 300 by penetrating end cap barrier 340 with needle , for example , while the marrow is being contained and kept sterile in the cartridge . penetrable barriers 340 can seal so as to protect the marrow from environmental contamination or spillage . further , cartridge 300 may be emptied by removal of end cap 320 and expulsion of tissue 30 from cartridge 300 by dumping harvested tissue into a recipient site , by pushing end cap 310 with a plunger , by installing cartridge 300 into a dispenser that uses a plunger , or by spooning harvested material from cartridge bore 330 . the aspiration device may be single - use and discarded following collection of bone marrow tissue 30 to eliminate risk of interpatient disease transmission . even though the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing disclosure . accordingly , it is intended that all such alternatives , modifications , and variations which fall within the spirit and the scope of the invention be embraced by the defined claims . marrow aspiration from rabbits with a syringe , needle and stylus system and unprotected mixing and handling the first study of the developing device was used to harvest bone marrow from the iliac crest of rabbits for the mixture of the marrow with a biomaterial to enhance its biological properties . the initial design used a syringe , needle , needle bone stylus and biomaterial compartment . this design successfully harvested marrow but had the following deficiencies : the needle did not close its end port and thus it became blocked with bone , the syringe did not allow continuous aspiration and required the user to remove the device from the subject , empty a small harvest volume from the syringe start the harvest again , and only an end - port was used and blocked easily . this study resulted in a low volume harvest , inconvenience for the surgeon , no protection of the biomaterial and marrow from the environment and required mixing in a bowl outside of the subject invention . it was shown that the combination of marrow with this biomaterial did not significantly enhance bone healing in the rabbit spine . marrow enhancement of a synthetic bone matrix with and without heparin in a second study of marrow harvest in rabbits the device of example i was modified to overcome several of the deficiencies of the previous system . it again used a syringe with biomaterial chamber , needle bone stylus attached to the plunger so that they worked together and end - port on the needle . this still required the surgeon to remove the device from the patient for each few cc of marrow harvested and did not sufficiently mix the marrow with the biomaterial and needle end - port obstruction still occurred . it was shown that marrow and marrow with heparin did not significantly enhance the ability of the biomaterial to enhance new bone formation in the spine of rabbits . though marrow and marrow combined with heparin did not significantly enhance bone healing in the spinal treatment evaluated developing technology has provided data that indicates that concentrated marrow may have the desired bone healing effect . in a study in baboons marrow was harvested from juvenile animals using a needle with stylus and a quick couple connector for the attachment of a syringe . this system again required repeated aspiration and removal from the harvest site , exposure of the harvested marrow to room air , and suffered from blockage . though the system still suffered from many of the same deficiencies the concentrated marrow was seeded onto a biomaterial , implanted to heal a defect in the fibula of a baboon and show good efficacy at enhancing the biologic response and healing of the bone defect where implant materials without concentrated marrow did not become will incorporated into bone . the prototype device of the subject invention was developed with the needle within a catheter , multiple ports into the bore of the needle , a housing and cartridge to collect the marrow , features for mixing within the device and the use of a suction line instead of using a syringe for suction . this system was used in models with simulated marrow and was shown to minimize port blockage , did not require a needle bore stylus to clear the needle , allowed the surgeon to enter the bony site and aspirate marrow from multiple sites within bone without removing the needle / catheter tip from the patient , allowed mixing of the biomaterial and marrow without opening the device and eased the surgeons task by using hospital supply suction versus creating suction by pulling a plunger within the bore of a syringe . references cited herein , to the extent that they provide exemplary procedural or other details supplementary to those set forth herein , are specifically incorporated herein by reference .
devices and methods for bone marrow aspiration , storage , and the combining of harvested marrow with biomaterials , therapeutic agents or medical devices are provided for the treatment or assessment on a variety of diseases or injuries . in a preferred embodiment , the invention includes aspiration of marrow into a cartridge to minimize bacterial contamination and clotting while facilitating handling , storage or the combining of harvested material with biomaterials , therapeutic agents or medical devices .