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.

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.