Medicaments container having encrypted information

Abstract

A medicaments container having encrypted information is disclosed. The container includes a housing and a dispenser disposed in the housing and configured to dispense a medicament unit in response to a signal from an apparatus. The container further includes a memory disposed in the housing and configured to store encrypted information and control logic disposed within the housing and configured to decrypt at least a portion of the encrypted information.

1 . A medicaments container, comprising:
 a housing;   a dispenser disposed in the housing and configured to dispense a medicament unit in response to a signal from an apparatus;   a memory disposed in the housing and configured to store encrypted information; and   control logic disposed within the housing and configured to decrypt at least a portion of the encrypted information.   
     
     
         2 . The medicaments container of  claim 1 , wherein the encrypted information comprises data indicative of the medicament unit and/or a patient to whom the medicament unit is prescribed. 
     
     
         3 . The medicaments container of  claim 1 , wherein the encrypted information comprises microinstructions for operating the apparatus. 
     
     
         4 . The medicaments container of  claim 1 , wherein the encrypted information comprises quality control data. 
     
     
         5 . The medicaments container of  claim 1 , wherein the medicaments container further comprises a communication device configured to communicate a signal comprising the decrypted information to the apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . The medicaments container of  claim 5 , wherein the communication device is a wireless communication device. 
     
     
         7 . The medicaments container of  claim 6 , wherein the wireless communication device is one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a smart card, infrared device, and a Bluetooth device. 
     
     
         8 . The medicaments container of  claim 6 , wherein the apparatus comprises a reader device and configured to receive the electromagnetic signal from the wireless communication device. 
     
     
         9 . The medicaments container of  claim 8 , wherein the reader device is one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, a smart card reader, an infrared reader, and a Bluetooth reader. 
     
     
         10 . The medicaments container of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a dispensing machine. 
     
     
         11 . The medicaments container of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the encrypted information is decrypted at the apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . A medicaments container, comprising:
 means for dispensing a medicament unit in response to a signal from an apparatus;   means for storing encrypted information, and   means for decrypting at least a portion of the encrypted information.   
     
     
         13 . The medicaments container of  claim 12 , wherein the encrypted information comprises data indicative of the medicament unit and/or a patient to whom the medicament unit is prescribed. 
     
     
         14 . The medicaments container of  claim 12 , wherein the encrypted information comprises microinstructions for operating the apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . The medicaments container of  claim 12 , wherein the encrypted information comprises quality control data. 
     
     
         16 . The medicaments container system of  claim 12  further comprises means for communicating a signal comprising the decrypted information to the apparatus. 
     
     
         17 . The medicaments container of  claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is a dispensing machine. 
     
     
         18 . The medicaments container of  claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the encrypted information is decrypted at the apparatus. 
     
     
         19 . A computer readable program embedded on a computer readable medium and executable by a processing device disposed within a medicaments container, comprising
 computer readable code for storing encrypted information in a memory within the medicaments container; and   computer readable code for decrypting at least a portion of the encrypted information.