Medicinal implant, device and method for loading and delivering implants containing drugs and cells

A system for injecting controlled release medicinal implants has a syringe-like injector body with a lumen and plunger. A needle is attached to the injector body and receives therein an injectable implant with an internal hollow. The implant is retained in the needle by friction, which is overcome by the plunger upon dispensing. As the plunger moves from the retracted position to the deployed position, it forces a medicament previously loaded into the injector body into the implant hollow and then pushes the implant out of the needle into the creature into which the needle has been inserted. The implant may contain a filler to absorb flowable medicaments to aid in their retention within the implant. As in known implants, the medicament is released gradually depending upon the dissolution rate of the implant body which is formed from a biodegradable material. Because the medicament is loaded into the implant at the time of injection, issues concerning the reaction of the medicament with the implant material during preparation and storage are eliminated.