Hand held integrated pedicle screw placement device

A device for applying a medical element has a housing defining a longitudinal axis with a channel disposed therethrough. The housing has a proximal and a distal opening. The device also has at least one sensing device positioned adjacent to the distal opening. The device also has a signaling device disposed adjacent the housing. The at least one sensing device interrogates a bone location for one or more variables of the bone location as the device is moved over the bone location. The at least one sensing devices outputs a signal to the device and the signaling device signals an identification of a homogenous bone region. The medical element is applied to the homogenous bone location coaxially from the proximal opening through the channel and through the distal opening without removal of the device from the homogenous bone region.