Lockable medicament dispensing apparatus with authentication mechanism

• US 7,917,246 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helene Laliberte, Michael Handfield
• Original Assignee: Helene Laliberte, Michael Handfield
• Inventors: Handfield, Michael, Laliberte, Helene
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner; Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US11/841,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/237, 700/240, 221/124, 221/125, 221/197
• US Class Current: 700/240
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/24 Rotary or oscillatory members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/38 in which the magazines are horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for an electronically lockable dispensing apparatus with a patient authentication mechanism are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a medicament dispensing apparatus includes an electronic lock adapted to protect medicaments from theft or unauthorized dispensing. The medicament dispensing apparatus is adapted to unlock the electronic lock upon authenticating a patient. In one embodiment, a set of biometric data may be analyzed for the purpose of authenticating the patient. The biometric data may include, for example, fingerprint patterns, voice samples, retinal scans, and/or facial characteristics of a person requesting medicaments.

Claims

1. A medicament dispensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of slots each adapted to interface with a respective one of a plurality of medicament containers;

a dispenser module, wherein the dispenser module comprises a drive gear adapted to engage a rotational mechanism disposed within the respective one of a plurality of medicament containers, wherein the drive gear is adapted to engage the rotational mechanism through an opening of the respective one of a plurality of medicament containers, wherein access to the opening is controlled by a spring-loaded shutter mechanism, wherein the spring-loaded shutter mechanism is adapted to open only if the respective one of a plurality of medicament containers is connected to a housing of the apparatus;

a biometric sensor adapted to receive biometric data; and

a controller adapted to regulate dispensing of medicaments contained within at least one of the plurality of medicament containers based at least in part upon a set of values contained within the biometric data.

2. The medicament dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biometric data comprises a fingerprint pattern.

3. The medicament dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biometric data comprises a retinal scan.

4. The medicament dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biometric data comprises a voice sample.

5. The medicament dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biometric data comprises an image of the face of a person requesting medicaments.

6. A device comprising:

a housing adapted to receive at least one medicament container;

a biometric sensor adapted to receive biometric data from a person requesting medicaments;

logic adapted to analyze the biometric data;

a dispenser module adapted to dispense medicaments stored within said at least one medicament container, wherein the dispenser module comprises a drive gear adapted to engage a rotational mechanism disposed within said at least one medicament container, wherein the drive gear is adapted to engage the rotational mechanism through an opening of said at least one medicament container, wherein access to the opening is controlled by a spring-loaded shutter mechanism, wherein the spring-loaded shutter mechanism is adapted to open only if said at least one medicament container is connected to the housing; and

a controller adapted to actuate the dispenser module based upon a signal generated by the logic.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the spring-loaded shutter mechanism comprises a top door and a bottom door.

8. A medicament dispenser comprising:

a housing adapted to store a medicament container;

a biometric sensor coupled to the housing, wherein the biometric sensor is adapted to authenticate a person requesting medicaments;

a dispenser module adapted to dispense medicaments stored within said medicament container, wherein the dispenser module comprises a drive gear adapted to engage a rotational mechanism disposed within said medicament container, wherein the drive gear is adapted to engage the rotational mechanism through an opening of said medicament container, wherein access to the opening is controlled by a spring-loaded shutter mechanism, wherein the spring-loaded shutter mechanism is adapted to open only if said medicament container is connected to the housing;

an electronic lock adapted to prevent dispensation of the medicaments; and

a controller adapted to unlock the electronic lock only upon authentication of the person.

9. The medicament dispenser of claim 8 further comprising a secure storage cabinet adapted to contain a plurality of medicament containers.

10. The medicament dispenser of claim 8, wherein the medicament dispenser is adapted to be mounted on a wall.

11. The medicament dispenser of claim 8, wherein the housing comprises a vertical column.

12. The medicament dispenser of claim 8, wherein the housing comprises a horizontal column.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of slots each adapted to interface with a respective one of a plurality of medicament containers;

a biometric sensor adapted to authenticate a person requesting a medicament;

logic adapted to select a medicament container among a set of medicament containers interfaced with the plurality of slots; and

a dispensing mechanism adapted to dispense the medicament from a medicament container selected by the logic upon authentication of the person requesting the medicament, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises a drive gear adapted to engage a rotational mechanism disposed within said medicament container, wherein the drive gear is adapted to engage the rotational mechanism through an opening of said medicament container, wherein access to the opening is controlled by a spring-loaded shutter mechanism, wherein the spring-loaded shutter mechanism is adapted to open only if said medicament container is connected to a housing of the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least one slot is adapted to receive a connector attached to a first side of a medicament container.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the connector comprises an alignment lock mechanism adapted to guide the medicament container into said at least one slot.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the alignment lock mechanism comprises a ball pin.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the connector is adapted to snap-lock the medicament container into said at least one slot.

18. A device comprising:

a structure adapted to house a medicament tray;

a dispenser control module adapted to control access to the medicament tray, wherein the dispenser control module comprises a drive gear adapted to engage a rotational mechanism disposed within said medicament tray, wherein the drive gear is adapted to engage the rotational mechanism through an opening of said medicament tray, wherein access to the opening is controlled by a spring -loaded shutter mechanism, wherein the spring-loaded shutter mechanism is adapted to open only if said medicament tray is connected to the structure;

a sensor adapted to receive biometric data from a person requesting medicaments; and

an authentication module adapted to authenticate the person based at least in part upon the biometric data, wherein the authentication module is further adapted to transmit results of an attempted authentication to the dispenser control module.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the medicament tray comprises a scanner adapted to identify at least one characteristic of the medicament for the purpose of determining whether the medicament is counterfeit.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the at least one characteristic of the medicament comprises the color of the medicament.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the at least one characteristic of the medicament comprises the shape of the medicament.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the at least one characteristic of the medicament comprises the size of the medicament.

23. An apparatus comprising:

an interface for a medicament container;

a sensor adapted to receive biometric data from a person;

a first module adapted to analyze the biometric data;

a dispenser mechanism adapted to dispense medicaments from the medicament container, wherein the dispenser mechanism comprises a drive gear adapted to engage a rotational mechanism disposed within said medicament container, wherein the drive gear is adapted to engage the rotational mechanism through an opening of said medicament container, wherein access to the opening is controlled by a spring-loaded shutter mechanism, wherein the spring-loaded shutter mechanism is adapted to open only if said medicament container is connected to a housing of the apparatus; and

a second module adapted to regulate access to a medicament container connected to the interface based at least in part upon a signal generated by the first module.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the biometric data comprises a retinal scan.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the biometric data comprises a fingerprint.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the biometric data comprises a voice sample.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the biometric data comprises an image of the face of the person.

28. A method comprising:

receiving biometric data from a person requesting medicaments contained within a medicament dispensing apparatus, wherein the medicament dispensing apparatus comprises a drive gear adapted to engage a rotational mechanism disposed within a medicament container, wherein the drive gear is adapted to engage the rotational mechanism through an opening of said medicament container, wherein access to the opening is controlled by a spring-loaded shutter mechanism, wherein the spring-loaded shutter mechanism is adapted to open only if said medicament container is connected to a housing;

analyzing the biometric data in order to determine whether the person requesting medicaments is authorized to receive the medicaments; and

releasing an electronic lock on the medicament dispensing apparatus upon determining that the person is authorized to receive the medicaments.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said analyzing the biometric data comprises:

identifying a first characteristic of the biometric data; and

determining whether the first characteristic comprises a value within a predetermined range of a reference value.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said analyzing the biometric data comprises comparing a characteristic of the biometric data to a characteristic of a reference set of data.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein said receiving biometric data from a person requesting medicaments comprises receiving an input from the person at a biometric sensor communicatively coupled to the medicament dispensing apparatus.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein said receiving biometric data from a person requesting medicaments comprises receiving the biometric data within a memory module disposed within the medicament dispensing apparatus.

33. A method comprising:

receiving a set of biometric data at a medicament dispenser, wherein the medicament dispenser comprises a drive gear adapted to engage a rotational mechanism disposed within a medicament container, wherein the drive gear is adapted to engage the rotational mechanism through an opening of said medicament container, wherein access to the opening is controlled by a spring-loaded shutter mechanism, wherein the spring-loaded shutter mechanism is adapted to open only if said medicament container is connected to a housing;

receiving results of a determination as to whether a value contained within the biometric data meets predetermined criteria; and

allowing dispensing of a medicament from the medicament dispenser if the value contained within the biometric data meets the predetermined criteria.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising generating a first signal adapted to indicate that a person requesting medicaments has been successfully authenticated.

35. The method of claim 33 further comprising generating a first signal upon determining that a person requesting medicaments has not been successfully authenticated.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein said receiving a set of biometric data at a medicament dispenser comprises storing the set of biometric data within a memory module disposed within the medicament dispenser.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the biometric data comprises a set of data selected from the group consisting of voice sample, facial image, retinal scan, and fingerprint.