Secure patient data in medical environments
First Claim
1. A method for creating an authenticated connection between a monitoring device and a wireless vital sign device, the method comprising:
- provisioning at least one wireless vital sign device with an encrypted patient blob;
transmitting a patient blob request to the at least one wireless vital sign device;
receiving a patient blob communication from the at least one wireless vital sign device, the patient blob communication including the encrypted patient blob; and
determining at least one patient identifier by decrypting the encrypted patient blob using a decryption key without receiving the decryption key from the at least one wireless vital sign device.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A patient care environment includes a monitoring device and a vital sign device, where the vital sign device communicates patient vital sign data to the monitoring device. A site key, entity keys, and key combining algorithms are used to secure communications in the patient care environment. Neither the site key nor the entity keys are communicated between the monitoring device and the vital sign device. The monitoring device may use the site key and entity keys to decrypt encrypted messages that have been previously stored in the vital sign device and transmitted back to any monitoring device containing the correct set of site and entity keys. The site key and entity key may also be used during the discovery and/or connection operations between the monitoring device and the vital sign device to associate a wirelessly connected vital sign device with a patient record.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for creating an authenticated connection between a monitoring device and a wireless vital sign device, the method comprising:
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provisioning at least one wireless vital sign device with an encrypted patient blob; transmitting a patient blob request to the at least one wireless vital sign device; receiving a patient blob communication from the at least one wireless vital sign device, the patient blob communication including the encrypted patient blob; and determining at least one patient identifier by decrypting the encrypted patient blob using a decryption key without receiving the decryption key from the at least one wireless vital sign device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A patient monitoring system, comprising:
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a wireless vital sign device, the wireless vital sign device including; a processing unit; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the wireless vital sign device to; receive and store an encrypted patient blob; transmit the encrypted patient blob upon request; obtain vital sign data; transmit the vital sign data to a monitoring device; and the monitoring device, including; a monitoring device processing unit; monitoring device memory storing instructions that, when executed by the monitoring device processing unit, cause the monitoring device to; establish an initial connection to the wireless vital sign device; request an encrypted patient blob from the wireless vital sign device; receive an encrypted patient blob from the wireless vital sign device; receive the vital sign data from the wireless vital sign device; and without receiving decryption keys from an external source, determine at least one patient identifier included in the encrypted patient blob either by decrypting the encrypted patient blob or by determining a globally unique identifier included in the encrypted patient blob by obtaining the at least one patient identifier from a database. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A method for monitoring vital signs of a patient in a medical environment, the method comprising:
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provisioning a monitoring device with a site key and an entity key by obtaining the site key and the entity key, entering the site key and the entity key into the monitoring device, storing the site key and the entity key in persistent storage, and setting an expiration date for the site key; obtaining an identifier; encrypting the identifier into a patient blob; writing the patient blob to a vital sign device; establishing an initial connection to a vital sign device; transmitting a patient blob request to the vital sign device; receiving a patient blob transmission from the vital sign device; decrypting the patient blob using a decryption key, without receiving the decryption key from the vital sign device, wherein decrypting is used to determine the identifier; displaying the identifier; receiving a request to connect to the vital sign device; forming an authenticated connection with the vital sign device; and receiving a vital sign data packet from the vital sign device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification