Telemetry overuse reduction in an implantable device

• US 10,201,712 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Yoder, Matthew R., Zhang, Bo, Kivi, Gary P., Sanden, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dietrich, Joseph M
• Application Number:
  US15/009,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20170216610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, methods and computer-readable storage media facilitating telemetry overuse reduction in an implantable medical device (“IMD”) are provided. In one embodiment, an IMD includes a housing configured to be implanted at least partially within a patient, a memory and circuitry within the housing and a processor that executes executable components stored in the memory. The executable components include: a communication component configured to establish a telemetry connection with an external device to communicate data associated with sensed physiological data or therapy; and an authorization component configured to determine whether the external device is authorized to communicate with the IMD, wherein the communication component is further configured to disable the telemetry connection with the external device and prevent additional communication with the external device for a defined period of time based on a determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the IMD.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device configured to be at least partially implanted within a patient, comprising:

a housing configured to be implanted at least partially within the patient;

a memory, within the housing, that stores executable components; and

circuitry, within the housing, and configured to at least one of obtain sensed physiological data associated with the patient or deliver a therapy to the patient;

a processor, within the housing, that executes the executable components stored in the memory, wherein the executable components comprise;

a communication component configured to establish a telemetry connection with an external device to communicate data associated with at least one of the sensed physiological data or the therapy; and

an authorization component configured to determine whether the external device is authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device, wherein the communication component is further configured to disable the telemetry connection with the external device and prevent additional communication with at least the external device for a defined period of time based on a determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device, wherein the communication component is also configured to prevent the additional communication with other external devices for the defined period of time based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the communication component is configured to establish the telemetry connection with the external device using a Bluetooth Low Energy communication protocol.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the authorization component is configured to determine whether the external device is authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device based on reception of valid authorization information from the external device.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the authorization component is configured to determine whether the external device is authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device based on reception of a defined packet from the external device within a defined window of time following reception of a request, from the external device, to establish the telemetry connection.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the authorization component is configured to determine whether the external device is authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device based on reception of a defined packet from the external device within a defined window of time following transmission of an acknowledgment message to the external device by the implantable medical device, wherein the acknowledgment message indicates the implantable medical device has received a request, from the external device, to establish the telemetry connection.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the authorization component is further configured to associate the external device with a storage cell of the memory that characterizes the external device as unauthorized to communicate with the implantable medical device based on the determination that the external device is unauthorized to communicate with the implantable medical device, and wherein the communication component is configured to reject future requests, received from the external device, to pair with the implantable medical device, based on association of the external device with the storage cell.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a telemetry regulation component configured to determine, based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device, a number of previous failed attempts to authorize the external device in association with establishing one or more previous telemetry connections with the implantable medical device, and

wherein the communication component is further configured to disable the telemetry connection with the external device and prevent the additional communication with the external device for the defined period of time based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device and a determination that the number of previous failed attempts exceeds a threshold amount.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device and the determination that the number of previous failed attempts exceeds the threshold amount, the telemetry regulation component is further configured to determine an amount of telemetry communication conducted by the implantable medical device over a defined period of time, and

wherein the communication component is further configured to disable the telemetry connection with the external device and enable additional telemetry communication with the external device and other external devices based on a determination that the amount of telemetry communication fails to exceed the threshold amount.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device and the determination that the number of previous failed attempts exceeds the threshold amount, the telemetry regulation component is further configured to determine an amount of telemetry communication conducted by the implantable medical device over another defined period of time, and

wherein the communication component is further configured to disable the telemetry connection with the external device and prevent additional telemetry communication with the external device and other external devices based on a determination that the amount of telemetry communication exceeds the threshold amount.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a telemetry regulation component configured to determine, based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device, a number of telemetry requests received by the implantable medical device from one or more unauthorized devices over another defined period of time, and

wherein the communication component is further configured to disable the telemetry connection with the external device and prevent the additional communication with the external device and other external devices for the defined period of time based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the external device and a determination that the number of telemetry requests received by the implantable medical device from the one or more unauthorized devices exceeds a threshold amount.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein the communication component is configured to prevent the additional communication with the external device and the other external devices by deactivating a transceiver of the implantable medical device for the defined period of time.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a telemetry regulation component configured to determine, based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device, an amount of telemetry communication conducted by the implantable medical device over another defined period of time, and

wherein the communication component is further configured to disable the telemetry connection with the external device and prevent the additional communication with the external device and other external devices for the defined period of time based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device and a determination that the amount of telemetry communication conducted by the implantable medical device over the other defined period of time exceeds a threshold amount.

13. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a telemetry regulation component configured to determine, based on the determination that the external device is not authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device, a number of telemetry requests received by the implantable medical device from one or more unauthorized devices over another defined period of time, and an amount of telemetry communication conducted by the implantable medical device over the other defined period of time, and

wherein the communication component is further configured to disable the telemetry connection with the external device and prevent the additional communication with the external device and other external devices for the defined period of time based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the external device, a determination that the number of telemetry requests received from the one or more unauthorized devices over the other defined period of time exceeds a threshold amount, and a determination that the amount of telemetry communication conducted by the implantable medical device over the other defined period of time exceeds another threshold amount.

14. A method of communicating by an implantable medical device configured to at least one of obtain sensed physiological data associated with a patient or deliver a therapy to the patient, the method comprising:

receiving, by the implantable medical device comprising a processor, a request from an external device to establish a telemetry session between the external device and the implantable medical device;

determining whether the external device is authorized to establish the telemetry session with the implantable medical device, wherein the determining whether the external device is authorized to establish the telemetry session with the implantable medical device is based on reception of a defined packet from the external device within a defined window of time following the request; and

deactivating a receiver of the implantable medical device for a defined period of time based on a determination that the external device fails to be authorized to establish the telemetry session with the implantable medical device and preventing additional communication with other external devices for the defined period of time based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to establish the telemetry session with the implantable medical device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining whether the external device is authorized to establish the telemetry session with the implantable medical device is further based on reception of valid authorization information from the external device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device;

determining, by the implantable medical device, a number of previous failed attempts to authorize the external device in association with establishing one or more pervious telemetry sessions with the implantable medical device, wherein the deactivating is further based on a determination that the number of previous failed attempts exceeds a threshold amount.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

activating, by the implantable medical device, the receiver of the implantable medical device according to a telemetry protocol employed by the implantable medical device based on a determination that the number of previous failed attempts fails to exceed the threshold amount.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising, based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device, and a determination that the number of previous failed attempts exceeds the threshold amount:

determining, by the implantable medical device, an amount of telemetry communication conducted by the implantable medical device over another defined period of time, wherein the deactivating the receiver is further based on a determination that the amount of telemetry communication exceeds another threshold amount.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

activating, by the implantable medical device, the receiver according to a telemetry protocol employed by the implantable medical device based on a determination that the amount of telemetry communication fails to exceed the other threshold amount.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising, based on the determination that the external device fails to be authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device:

determining, by the implantable medical device, a number of previous failed attempts over the defined period of time to authorize external devices, including the external device, in association with establishing one or more previous telemetry sessions with the implantable medical device, wherein the deactivating is further based on a determination that the number of previous failed attempts exceeds a threshold amount.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

activating, by the implantable medical device, the receiver according to a telemetry protocol employed by the implantable medical device based on a determination that the number of previous failed attempts fails to exceed the threshold amount.

22. A system comprising:

a remote device configured to perform telemetry communications with other devices; and

an implantable device configured to;

establish an unsecure telemetry connection with the remote device based on reception of a request from the remote device to communicate with the implantable device;

determine whether the remote device is authorized to establish a secure telemetry connection with the implantable device;

disable the unsecure telemetry connection with the remote device and prevent additional telemetry communication with the remote device and other remote devices for a defined period of time based on a determination that the remote device fails to be authorized to establish the secure telemetry connection with the implantable device; and

establish a secure telemetry connection with the remote device based on a determination that the remote device is authorized to establish the secure telemetry connection with the implantable device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the implantable device is further configured to prevent the additional telemetry communication with the remote device and the other remote devices based on an amount of telemetry requests received from unauthorized devices in another defined period and an amount of telemetry communication performed by the implantable device in the other defined period of time.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the remote device comprises a mobile phone.