Medicine safety storage system

• US 6,382,416 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kathy S. Gainey
• Original Assignee: Kathy S. Gainey
• Inventors: Gainey, Kathy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bollinger, David H.
• Application Number:
  US09/604,023
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 206/528, 206/534, 206/536, 206/533, 206/1.5, 206/807, 220/200, 220/210, 220/211, 220/315, 70/63, 704/16, 356/71
• US Class Current: 206/317
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1437 Locking means requiring key or combination to open the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 55/02 Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure B65D41/32 takes precedence; protective covers for bottles B65D23/08; protective cap-like outer covers for bottle or jar closures B65D41/62; pressure-applying means B65D45/00; closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal of closures B65D50/00

Abstract

A medicine safety storage system restricts access to medicines to authorized persons who have pre-programmed a microprocessor to recognize their unique fingerprint. The system includes a housing portion, a cap portion and means for releasably locking the cap portion to the housing portion. The housing portion is generally hollow for holding at least one medicine container. The cap portion includes a scanner touch screen, an optical scanner and a microprocessor electrically connected to a power source. The microprocessor includes means for converting optical information relating to a fingerprint to optical fingerprint data, a permanent memory for storing the optical fingerprint data and means for comparing optical information relating to a subsequent fingerprint to the stored optical fingerprint data. The means for releasably locking the cap portion to the housing portion includes a motor electrically connected to the microprocessor and to the power source. The housing portion has at least one detent formed in the inner surface and the cap portion includes at least one locking pin fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor for engaging the at least one detent to lock the cap portion in position onto the housing portion. Preferably, the cap portion further includes a toggle switch electrically connected to the microprocessor. The toggle switch has a “record” position for reading and storing optical information relating to a fingerprint, a “secure” position for preventing the accidental recording or deleting the optical fingerprint data and a “delete” position for deleting the optical fingerprint data.

Claims

1. A medicine safety storage system for restricting access to medicines to authorized persons, said system comprising:

a generally hollow housing portion having inner and outer surfaces and one closed end and one open end;

a cap portion releasably lockable to the open end of said housing portion, said cap portion having a top surface and a bottom casing, said cap portion comprising;

a scanner touch screen embedded in said top surface of said cap portion;

an optical scanner in optical communication with said touch screen; and

a microprocessor electrically connected to said optical scanner, said microprocessor comprising means for converting optical information relating to a fingerprint to optical fingerprint data, a permanent memory for storing the optical fingerprint data and means for comparing optical information relating to a subsequent fingerprint to the stored optical fingerprint data;

a power source electrically connected to said microprocessor; and

means for releasably locking said cap portion to said housing portion.

2. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 1 wherein said housing portion has at least one detent formed in said inner surface and wherein said means for releasably locking said cap portion to said housing portion comprises:

a motor electrically connected to said microprocessor and to said power source;

a shaft extending from said motor and having a first end attached to said motor and a second end; and

at least one locking pin fixed to said second end of said shaft, said at least one locking pin engaging said at least one detent formed in said inner surface of said housing portion.

3. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 2 wherein said motor rotates said at least one locking pin about said shaft no more than about forty-five (45) degrees.

4. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 1 wherein said cap portion further comprises:

a toggle switch electrically connected to said microprocessor for controlling the operation of said microprocessor, said toggle switch having at least two positions.

5. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 4 wherein said toggle switch comprises a “

record”

position for reading and storing optical information relating to a fingerprint, a “

secure”

position for preventing the accidental recording or deleting the optical fingerprint data and a “

delete”

position for deleting the optical fingerprint data.

6. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 1 wherein said cap portion further comprises:

a protective cover hingedly attached to said top surface of said cap portion, said protective cover movable between a closed position wherein said touch screen is protected and an open position wherein said touch screen is accessible.

7. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 6 wherein said protective cover is releasably locked in the closed position by a push button latch.

8. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 6 wherein said housing portion and said protective cover is made of a durable plastic material.

9. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 8 wherein said protective cover is made of Plexiglas.

10. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least one locking peg fixed to said bottom casing of said cap portion; and

at least one locking peg slot provided on said inner surface of said housing portion for engaging said at least one locking peg and thereby align said cap portion onto said housing portion.

11. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 1 wherein said means for converting optical information relating to a fingerprint comprises an optical reader and wherein said means for comparing optical information relating to a subsequent fingerprint comprises conventional optical scanner software.

12. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 1 wherein said housing portion is made of a substantially transparent material.

13. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 1 wherein said housing portion is sized to hold at least one conventionally sized medicine container.

14. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 1 wherein said housing portion is selected from the group consisting of a pillbox and a travel case.

15. A medicine safety storage system according to claim 1 wherein said power source is selected from the group consisting of a photocell, a solar cell and a watch battery.

16. A method of safely storing at least one medicine container in a medicine safety storage system according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of:

recording the optical fingerprint data of at least one person authorized to access the at least one medicine container within the medicine safety storage system;

communicating optical information relating to a fingerprint to the microprocessor;

comparing the optical information relating to the fingerprint to the previously recorded optical fingerprint data; and

alternately locking and unlocking the cap portion when the optical information relating to the fingerprint matches the previously recorded optical fingerprint data.

17. A method of safely storing at least one medicine container in a medicine safety storage system according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of:

recording and storing optical fingerprint data of at least one person authorized to access the at least one medicine container within the medicine safety storage system;

communicating optical information relating to a fingerprint of a person to the microprocessor;

comparing the optical information relating to the fingerprint of the person to the recorded and stored optical fingerprint data; and

unlocking the cap portion when the optical information relating to the fingerprint of the person matches the recorded and stored optical fingerprint data.