U.S. patent application number 12/043208 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-10 for thumb/fingerprint activated pill dispenser.
Invention is credited to George E. Getz.
Application Number | 20090223994 12/043208 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41052561 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090223994 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Getz; George E. |
September 10, 2009 |
Thumb/Fingerprint Activated Pill Dispenser
Abstract
A pill container/dispenser that includes fingerprint recognition
circuitry located in a cap associated therewith. The cap is locked
on the container and no pill can be dispensed from the container
without first moving the cap. When a person places their thumb on
the cap of the pill dispenser, a computer chip reads the
thumbprint. If the person is an authorized user, the cap will be
unlocked from the container and released so a pill can be dispensed
from the container. If the fingerprint is not recognized, the cap
will remain locked in position so that no dispensing will occur.
Furthermore, if the computer chip recognizes tampering, such as a
continued effort to remove the cap by a non-authorized user, a
chemical spray is sprayed from the cap into the container. The
spray will dilute or destroy the potency of the pills remaining in
the container.
Inventors: |
Getz; George E.;
(Cincinnati, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PAUL R. MARTIN
5333 BAYRIDGE COURT
FAIRFIELD
CA
94534
US
|
Family ID: |
41052561 |
Appl. No.: |
12/043208 |
Filed: |
March 6, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/154 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 55/14 20130101;
B65D 2211/00 20130101; B65D 2215/00 20130101; B65D 83/0427
20130101; A61J 1/1437 20130101; A61J 1/03 20130101; A61J 7/0076
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
221/154 |
International
Class: |
A47F 1/06 20060101
A47F001/06 |
Claims
1. A pill container/dispenser comprising: A) a body adapted to
store pills and which includes (1) a sidewall having an opening
defined at one end thereof, (2) a pill-dispensing channel defined
in the sidewall, and (3) a pill-dispensing opening defined by the
pill-dispensing channel; and B) a cap which is releasably mounted
on the body to overlie the opening the sidewall when in use, the
cap including (1) a body portion that fits over the opening in the
sidewall when the cap is in place on the body, (2) a projection
that fits over the pill-dispensing opening in the pill-dispensing
channel when the cap is in place on the body to prevent pills
passing through the pill-dispensing opening when the cap is in
place on the body, (3) a locking mechanism which locks the cap in
place on the body when activated, (4) a locking mechanism control
system which de-activates the locking mechanism when desired, the
control system including (a) a thumb clamp on the cap, and (b) a
thumbprint recognition system connecting the thumb clamp to the
locking mechanism, the thumbprint recognition system being
operative to de-activate the locking mechanism when an authorized
user places his thumb on the thumb clamp to permit the cap to be
moved to allow dispensing of pills from the body.
2. The pill container/dispenser defined in claim 1 wherein the cap
further includes a spray system that sprays liquid onto pills
stored in the body when a non-authorized user attempts to remove
the cap from the body.
3. The pill container/dispenser defined in claim 2 wherein the
spray system includes a reservoir, a pump and a spray nozzle.
4. The pill container/dispenser defined in claim 1 where the
thumbprint recognition system includes a memory adapted to store
prescription schedule of the pills, the thumbprint recognition
system dispensing the pills according to the prescription schedule
stored in the memory.
5. The pill container/dispenser defined in claim 1 wherein the body
is translucent.
6. A pill container/dispenser comprising: A) a body adapted to
store pills therein; B) a cap covering the body when in use to
prevent pills from being dispensed from the body; C) a locking
mechanism locking the cap to the body in a covering position when
activated; and D) a control system in the cap which includes print
reading circuitry which reads a print of a finger or thumb of a
person attempting to move the cap out of the covering position, the
control system being connected to the locking mechanism and
deactivating the locking mechanism when the person attempting to
move the cap out of the covering position is an authorized
user.
7. The pill container/dispenser defined in claim 6 wherein the cap
further includes a spray system that sprays liquid onto pills
stored in the body when a non-authorized user attempts to remove
the cap from the body.
8. The pill container/dispenser defined in claim 7 wherein the
spray system is connected to the control system in the cap.
9. The pill container/dispenser defined in claim 6 wherein the
control system includes a memory adapted to store prescription
schedule of the pills, the control system adapted to dispense the
pills according to the prescription schedule stored in the memory.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a pill dispenser,
and more particularly, to a pill dispenser incorporating locking
means for preventing the dispensing of a pill there from until the
locking means is released.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A tablet is a mixture of active substances and recipients,
usually in powder form, pressed or compacted into a solid. The
excipients include binders, glidants and lubricants to ensure
efficient tabletting; disintegrants to ensure that the tablet
breaks up in the digestive tract; sweeteners or flavors to mask the
taste of bad-tasting active ingredients; and pigments to make
uncoated tablets visually attractive. A coating may be applied to
hide the taste of the tablet's components, to make the tablet
smoother and easier to swallow, and to make it more resistant to
the environment, as a result, extending its shelf life.
[0003] Medicines to be taken orally are often supplied in tablet
form. Medicinal tablets and capsules are often called pills. Other
products that are manufactured in the form of tablets, and designed
to dissolve or disintegrate, include cleaning and deodorizing
products.
[0004] Medicinal tablets are usually intended to be swallowed, and,
as a result, are a suitable size and shape. Tablets for other
purposes, such as effervescent medicinal tablets and non-medicinal
tablets, may be larger.
[0005] Medicinal tablets were originally made in the shape of a
disk of whatever color their components determined, but are now
made in many shapes and colors to help users to distinguish between
different medicines they take. Tablets are often stamped with
symbols, letters, and numbers, which enable them to be identified.
Sizes of tablets made to be swallowed, range from a few millimeters
to about a centimeter. Some tablets are in the shape of capsules,
and are thus called "caplets".
[0006] When Tylenol.RTM. capsules were laced with cyanide, many
people stopped buying capsules because they are easy to
contaminate. They instead bought tablets, which are not. Some
makers of over-the-counter drugs responded by making "caplets",
which are tablets made in the shape of a capsule. Tablets are often
scored to allow them to be easily broken into equal halves for
smaller doses. Some people have difficulty swallowing tablets, this
is called dysphagia. This is often caused by a gag reflex.
[0007] The usage of medication in the form of pills to regain and
maintain physical and mental health, and the selection,
application, and potency of prescription medications, has increased
with the advancement of medical science. Likewise, self-taking of
prescribed medications by individuals has also increased over the
years. This is especially true in instances when medication can be
taken in the home to combat diseases or conditions, which, in the
past required/allowed user to be hospitalized. With the decrease in
the amount of time patients are required to be hospitalized, the
self-administration of complex medication without proper
supervision has drastically increased. Unfortunately, the adverse
effect to a patient who has either improperly taken the correct
dosage of medication or who has overdosed on the medication has
also increased.
[0008] Cases are well documented in every community of medication
overdose, misuse, and abuse. These unfortunate actions can lead to
various adverse effects on the user's life, as well as those
associated with the user, including health risks, personal and
social upheaval, reaction, addiction, deceit, fraud and loss of a
normal functioning life, such as maintaining a job, caring for
family and other basic responsibilities. Non-compliance with
self-administered medication schedules is a costly health care
problem, which results in increased hospital visits and stays.
While a high percentage of those who misuse medications would
qualify as high risk, i.e., those with former or current substance
abuse or substance addiction issues, those not considered high risk
can succumb to the same problems innocently, as they are prescribed
use of a highly addictive substance, narcotic, or equivalent
prescription, to deal with pain, sleep related problems, depression
or other heath issues.
[0009] Such risk of addiction concerns prescribing doctors,
pharmacists and manufacturers because the risk of misuse and
addiction may be more harmful than the condition being addressed.
Doctors may under-prescribe to the patient out of such concerns,
lessoning the positive effects and attributes that the prescribed
medication could provide if taken properly. Free access to a bottle
of highly potent, addictive, habit forming medication, can put the
physician and the user in an uncomfortable, possibly compromising
situation.
[0010] The importance of avoiding complications by employing
preventive procedures such as the use of intelligent pill
dispensers for home use has increased. Present pill devices,
however are not well suited for such demanding applications.
[0011] In the past these problems were addressed by designing more
functions into the device, increasing complexity and cost.
Generally, prior home dispensing systems typically are large in
size, not readily portable, and do not provide a relative cost
effective and easy mechanism to dispense medication. Filling and
refilling may require in-home assistance. Transfer and loading of
medications by home caregivers rather than a pharmacist introduces
the possibility of medication identification errors. By design many
of these devices were intended to be provided and supervised by
trained caregivers and require monitoring and maintenance. Some of
the complexities and functions of these devices include multiple
doses in a single compartment, user or caregiver loading of dose
compartments, computer programming, computer interfacing, multiple
alarm sets, multiple timer set functions, event recording and
monitoring, remote monitoring, and audio and visual alarms. These
capabilities are labor intensive, timely, and costly.
[0012] In contrast, simplified devices provide help in maintaining
dose schedules but generally lack adequate overdose protection
features. Therefore, there is a need for a method, process, and
system that allows user access to the medication only at prescribed
intervals anywhere the user is situated, yet simple and small
enough to maintain inexpensive manufacturing costs. Beneficially,
such an apparatus, and system would provide drug manufacturers,
prescribing physicians and pharmacies with a level of confidence
that the intended use of the medication will be complied with and
would provide the user with a compact dispenser that ensures a
certain level of protection from possible misuse, dependence or
addiction.
[0013] The problem of restricting the access of infants to medicine
bottles is well known. In response to a developing problem of
accidental poisonings of infants by household prescription drugs
resulted in the substantially universal use of child-proof closures
designed to frustrate opening of the container by infants and small
children. Commonly utilized designs of such child-proof closures
include caps that are required to be aligned in a specific
rotational orientation to permit opening, caps that require
downward pressure on the top of the cap to engage an inner cap for
the necessary unscrewing rotations, or to release the cap from a
locking device. While many of these known child-proof closure
designs are reasonably effective for their primary intended
purposes, an unwanted side effect has been to make the medicine
containers difficult for many adults to open, particularly the
elderly, persons with poor eyesight or physical problems with their
hands, for example. A result of this is that, in many households,
adults who have difficulty opening "child-proof" containers, may
tend to simply remove the caps and leave the bottle open, totally
defeating the purpose of providing the child-proof closure in the
first place. The problem currently is recognized as becoming
increasingly serious because of a demographic trend for
grandparents and grandchildren to be living in the same
households.
[0014] In the tablet-pressing process, it is important that all
ingredients be fairly dry, powdered or granular, somewhat uniform
in particle size, and freely flowing. Mixed particle sized powders
can segregate due to operational vibrations, which can result in
tablets with poor drug or active pharmaceutical ingredient (API)
content uniformity. Content uniformity ensures that the same API
dose is delivered with each tablet.
[0015] Some APIs may be tabulated as pure substances, but this is
rarely the case; most formulations include excipients. Normally, an
inactive ingredient (excipient) termed a binder, is added to help
hold the tablet together and give it strength. A wide variety of
binders may be used, some common ones including lactose powder,
dibasic calcium phosphate, sucrose, corn starch, microcrystalline
cellulose, and modified cellulose.
[0016] Often, an ingredient is also needed to act as a disintegrant
that hydrates readily in water to aid tablet dispersion once
swallowed, releasing the API for absorption. Some binders, such as
starch and cellulose, are also excellent disintegrants. Small
amounts of lubricants are usually added, as well. The most common
of these is magnesium stearate; however, other commonly used tablet
lubricants include stearic acid, hydrogenated oil, and sodium
stearyl fumarate. These help the tablets, once pressed, to be more
easily ejected from the die.
[0017] Many tablets today are coated after being pressed. Although
sugar-coating was popular in the past, the process has many
drawbacks. Modem tablet coatings are polymer and polysaccharide
based, with plasticizers and pigments included. Tablet coatings
must be stable and strong enough to survive the handling of the
tablet, must not make tablets stick together during the coating
process, and must follow the fine contours of embossed characters,
or logos on tablets.
[0018] Coatings can also facilitate printing on tablets, if
required. Coatings are necessary for tablets that have an
unpleasant taste, and a smoother finish makes large tablets easier
to swallow. Tablet coatings are also useful to extend the
shelf-life of components that are sensitive to moisture or
oxidation. Opaque materials like titanium dioxide can protect
light-sensitive actives from photodegradation. Special coatings can
also enhance brand recognition.
[0019] If the active ingredient of a tablet is sensitive to acid,
or is an irritant to the stomach lining, an enteric coating can be
used, which is resistant to stomach acid and dissolves in the high
pH of the intestines. Enteric coatings are also used for medicines
that can be negatively affected by taking a long time to reach the
small intestine where they are absorbed. Coatings are often chosen
to control the rate of dissolution of the drug in the
gastrointestinal tract.
[0020] Some drugs will be absorbed better at different points in
the digestive system. If the highest percentage of absorption of a
drug takes place in the stomach, a coating that dissolves quickly
and easily in acid will be selected. If the rate of absorption is
best in the large intestine or colon, a coating that is acid
resistant and dissolves slowly would be used to ensure it reached
that point before dispersing. The area of the gastro-intestinal
tract with the best absorption for any particular drug is usually
determined by clinical trials.
[0021] Tablet presses, also called tabletting machines, range from
small, inexpensive bench-top models that make one tablet at a time,
to large, computerized, industrial models that can make hundreds of
thousands to millions of tablets an hour with much greater
pressure. Some tablet presses can make extremely large tablets,
such as some of the toilet cleaning and deodorizing products, or
dishwasher soap.
[0022] Others can make smaller tablets, from regular aspirin, to
some the size of a BB gun pellet. Tablet presses may also be used
to form tablets out of a wide variety of materials, from powdered
metals to cookie crumbs. The tablet press is an essential piece of
machinery for any pharmaceutical and nutraceutical
manufacturer.
[0023] It is sometimes necessary to split tablets into halves or
quarters. Tablets are easier to break accurately if scored, but
there are devices called pill-splitters which cut unscored and
scored tablets. Tablets with special coatings should not be broken
before use, as this will expose the tablet core to the digestive
juices, short-circuiting the intended delayed-release effect. There
is a need for a means to prevent the stealing, selling, and abuse
of pills by popping out one pill at a time out of a dispenser.
[0024] A problem with many previous pill dispensers is that
children can gain access to the pills contained therein. An
unsupervised child might consume pills which would be detrimental
to his or her health. Other pill and tablet dispensers in the past
have incorporated child-resistant features to make it more
difficult for a child to open the container. However, these
child-resistant features often make access too difficult for the
intended user. It is a further object of this invention to provide
a child-resistant locking mechanism for pill and tablet dispensers,
which would provide ready access for adults.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0025] These, and other objects, are achieved by a pill
container/dispenser which comprises: a body adapted to store pills
therein; a cap covering the body when in use to prevent pills from
being dispensed from the body; a locking mechanism locking the cap
to the body in a covering position when activated; and a control
system in the cap which includes print reading circuitry which
reads a print of a finger or thumb of a person attempting to move
the cap out of the covering position, the control system being
connected to the locking mechanism and deactivating the locking
mechanism when the person attempting to move the cap out of the
covering position is an authorized user. If the fingerprint is not
recognized, the cap will remain locked in position so that no
dispensing will occur. Furthermore, if the computer chip recognizes
tampering, such as a continued effort to remove the cap by a
non-authorized user, a chemical spray is sprayed from the cap into
the container. The spray will dilute or destroy the potency of the
pills remaining in the container.
[0026] Using the device of the present invention will prevent the
selling of pills in bulk amounts, there would likely be no
mistaking another pill for the one that is supposed to be taken,
and if someone has suicidal thoughts by taking pills, they may be
deterred by the features of the container embodying the principles
of the present invention.
[0027] Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the
invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in
the art upon examination of the following figure and detailed
description. It is intended that all such additional systems,
methods, features, and advantages be included within this
description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected
by the following claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE
[0028] The invention can be better understood with reference to the
following drawing and description. The components in the figure are
not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon
illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the
figure, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts
throughout the different views.
[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pill container/dispenser
embodying the principles of the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 2 represents a circuit diagram of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will
become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed
description and the accompanying drawing.
[0032] Referring to the figure, it can be understood that the
principles of the present invention is embodied in a pill
container/dispenser 10 which comprises a body 12 that includes a
cylindrical sidewall 14 that can be translucent if suitable, a
first wall 16 that is a bottom wall when the device is in a use
orientation such as shown in FIG. 1, and an open mouth 20 that is
defined by a rim 22 to which a cap 30 is releasably attached. A
cylindrical dispenser pill-dispensing channel 40 is defined on one
portion of the sidewall and extends between the first wall and the
rim and terminates in a pill-dispensing opening 42 that is
co-planar with the open mouth of the sidewall. Pills, or the like,
are stored in body 12 for dispensing as needed.
[0033] Cap 30 includes a circular body 50 and an arcuate projection
52, with the body being shaped and sized to be releasably mounted
on rim 22 with projection 52 being shaped, sized and positioned to
overlie mouth 42 when the cap is in place on body 12 to close
opening 42 and prevent pills stored in the device from passing out
of the device via the opening 42 or via mouth 20. Cap 30 further
includes a locking mechanism 60 which locks the cap to the body
when activated, and which unlocks the cap sufficiently to uncover
opening 42 when de-activated. Locking mechanism 60 includes a bolt
62 which moves out of a channel in the cap to abut sidewall 14
adjacent to rim 22 when the mechanism is activated and to move into
the channel out of abutment with the sidewall when the mechanism is
de-activated. In this manner, mechanism 60 will lock the cap onto
the body when activated and will permit the cap to move when
de-activated.
[0034] As illustrated in FIG. 2, mechanism 60 is controlled by a
fingerprint-recognition system 64 that includes a circuit 66
electrically connected to locking mechanism 60 and to a thumb clamp
68 in a manner such that when a user places his or her thumb on
clamp 68, the thumbprint is read by circuit 66, and if the user is
authorized, the print will be approved and the locking mechanism
will be de-activated and cap 30 can be moved in a manner to uncover
opening 42 and permit a pill, such as pill P, to be dispensed.
Alternatively, if the thumbprint is not authorized, the locking
mechanism remains active to prevent moving the cap.
[0035] It is noted that details of the fingerprint recognition
systems are known to those skilled in the art from disclosures such
as those found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,015,579, 7,023,319, 7,068,145,
7,266,226, among others, with the disclosures of the just-mentioned
patents being incorporated herein by reference. The exact details
of such mechanisms and systems are not important to this invention
and, as such, will not be presented or claimed.
[0036] Control circuit 66 may be electrically coupled to a memory
67 to store prescription schedule of the pills stored in the
dispenser 10. Before the pills in the dispenser 10 are given to a
patient, the pharmacist or the doctor may store the prescription
schedule to the memory 67. The prescription schedule may proscribe
the number of fills that is/are to be dispensed within a
predetermined amount of time. If a patient desires to take a pill
from the dispenser 10, the patient places his or her finger on the
clamp 68, and if the fingerprint matches, then the circuit 66
determines if the instructions to dispense the pill is within the
allowed time period, and if so the correct quantity of pill(s) may
be dispensed. As an example, if a doctor proscribes that one pill
is to be taken every six hours, but if the patients places its
finger print on the clamp before the next dispense period, then the
circuit 66 may not dispense the pill. On the other hand, if the
patient does not request a pill past the six hour period since the
last time the earlier pill was dispensed, then the circuit may give
an alarm or give notice to the patient that the next pill needs to
be dispensed.
[0037] Cap 30 further includes a spray mechanism 70 electrically
coupled to control circuit 66, a reservoir 74 and a spray nozzle 76
that is fluidically connected to the reservoir by a small pump 78.
If the cap is tampered with by someone whose fingerprint is not
recognized by circuit 66, the circuit 66 activates the spray
mechanism to turn on pump 78 to spray liquid onto the pills stored
in the device to destroy or inactivate these pills to render them
unusable to thwart the tampering. Again, the exact details of the
spray mechanism and its control systems are not important to this
invention and thus will not be disclosed or claimed.
[0038] While various embodiments of the invention have been
described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the
art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible
within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention is
not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and
their equivalents.
* * * * *