Near field telemetry link for passing a shared secret to establish a secure radio frequency communication link in a physiological condition monitoring system

• US 10,039,496 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Yarger, Michael, Petisce, James, DiResta, Ellen, Burns, Deborah, Mason, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Application Number:
  US14/364,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20140313052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 34087002, 34087001
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/72 Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes character recognition, recognising digital ink, document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00; recognition or understanding of postal images G06V30/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A physiological condition monitoring system (e.g., a continuous glucose monitoring system) includes a physiological condition meter and a physiological condition sensor. The physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor are be placed in proximity to exchange a secret key using a near field wireless link, which is used to encrypt data to secure a radio frequency (RF) wireless channel.

Claims

1. A method for pairing a wireless physiological condition monitoring system, comprising:

placing a physiological condition meter in proximity with a physiological condition sensor;

receiving an instruction to initialize communication between the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor;

in response to the received instruction and the physiological condition meter being in proximity with the physiological condition sensor, generating a secret key at one of the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor using a random process, and transmitting the secret key to the one of the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor via a first communication link to provide a shared key that is shared between the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor; and

transmitting measurement data to the physiological condition meter from the physiological condition sensor via a secure wireless link based on the secret key;

wherein the secret key is not generated until after the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor are placed proximally to each other, and

generating the secret key does not employ user input of an identifier of the physiological condition sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the measurement data using the secret key.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first communication link is a near field communication (NFC) link formed when the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor are proximate to each other.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the secure wireless link is a radio frequency (RF) link.

5. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising:

receiving operational information from the physiological condition sensor at the physiological condition meter via the first communication link, the operational information comprising at least one of battery status, expiration data, and spoilage of the physiological condition sensor; and

determining if the physiological condition meter can transmit the secret key to the physiological condition sensor based on the operational information.

6. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising actuating the physiological condition sensor based on the received instruction.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the received instruction comprises disposing the physiological condition sensor in a receptacle of the physiological condition meter, the receptacle configured to receive and actuate the physiological condition sensor.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the physiological condition sensor comprises memory for storing the secret key that is programmable a single instance.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising verifying if the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor have identical secret keys.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the NFC link is an inductive link and the range of the secure wireless link exceeds the range of the NFC link.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor are proximate when placed within approximately 20 centimeters.

12. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

after placing the physiological condition meter in proximity with the physiological condition sensor, energizing an inductive element in the physiological condition meter, and inducing a current in an inductive element in the physiological condition sensor.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing energy in the physiological condition sensor from the induced current.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of, when the inductive element in the physiological condition meter induces the current in the inductive element of the physiological condition sensor, sending the received instruction to initialize communication between the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the first communication link is selected from at least one of an electrical connection, a wireless connection, an inductive coupling connection, and an optical connection.

16. A wireless physiological condition monitoring system, comprising:

a physiological condition sensor for measuring physiological condition data of a user and transmitting the measured physiological condition data using a secure wireless link based on a secret key upon receiving an instruction to initialize communication between a physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor; and

the physiological condition meter for receiving the measured physiological condition data via the secure wireless link based on the secret key and displaying the measured physiological condition data to the user,

wherein, in response to the instruction provided when the physiological condition sensor and the physiological condition meter are in proximity to each other, the secret key is generated using a random process and transmitted using a second communication link;

wherein the secret key is not generated until after the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor are placed proximally to each other, and generating the secret key does not employ user input of an identifier of the physiological condition sensor.

17. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the physiological condition sensor encrypts the measured physiological condition data using the secret key and the physiological condition meter decrypts the encrypted measured physiological condition data using the secret key.

18. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the second communication link is a near field communication (NFC) link formed when the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor are proximate to each other.

19. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 18 wherein the secure wireless link is a radio frequency (RF) link.

20. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the physiological condition meter receives operational information of the physiological condition sensor via the second communication link and determines if the physiological condition meter can transmit the secret key to the physiological condition sensor based on the operational information, the operational information comprising at least one of battery status, expiration data, and spoilage of the physiological condition sensor.

21. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the physiological condition sensor is actuated based on the instruction.

22. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 21, wherein the physiological condition meter includes a receptacle for receiving and actuating the physiological condition sensor.

23. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the physiological condition sensor includes a one time programmable memory for storing the secret key.

24. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the NFC link is an inductive link and the range of the secure wireless link exceeds the range of the NFC link.

25. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor are proximate when placed within approximately 20 centimeters.

26. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the physiological condition sensor comprises a first inductive element adapted to provide an inductive link between the first inductive element and a second inductive element in the physiological condition meter.

27. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the instruction is generated and sent in response to an induced current of one of the first and second inductive elements induced by energization in the first and second inductive elements.

28. The wireless physiological condition monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the physiological condition sensor further comprises an energy storage element, and the energy storage element is adapted to be charged by an induced current in the first inductive element, the induced current being induced by energization of the second inductive element.

29. A method for synchronizing a wireless physiological condition monitoring system, comprising:

receiving an instruction to initialize communication between a physiological condition sensor and a physiological condition meter;

in response to the instruction, generating a secret key using a random process at one of the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor and transmitting the secret key to the one of the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor via a near field communication (NFC) wireless inductive link when the physiological condition meter is in proximity with the physiological condition sensor, the secret key not being generated until after the physiological condition meter and the physiological condition sensor are placed proximally to each other, and generating the secret key does not employ user input of an identifier of the physiological condition sensor;

receiving the secret key via the wireless inductive link;

encrypting data to be transmitted between the physiological condition sensor and physiological condition meter; and

transmitting the encrypted data between the physiological condition sensor and the physiological condition meter via a second wireless link.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said receiving the instruction comprises at least one of receiving an indication that the physiological condition sensor is proximal to the physiological condition meter, receiving a user instruction, and receiving an indication that a detector has sensed the physiological condition sensor in a receptacle of the physiological condition meter.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving operational information from the physiological condition sensor at the physiological condition meter via the wireless inductive link; and

determining if the physiological condition meter can transmit the secret key to the physiological condition sensor based on the operational information;

wherein the operational information comprises at least one of battery status, expiration data, and spoilage of the physiological condition sensor.