Secure long-range telemetry for implantable medical device

• US 20070118188A1
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Bange, Joseph, Von Arx, Jeffrey, Koshiol, Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• 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: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/88 Medical equipments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A method and system for enabling secure communications between an implantable medical device (IMD) and an external device (ED) over a telemetry channel. A telemetry interlock may be implemented which limits any communications between the ED and the IMD over the telemetry channel, where the telemetry interlock is released when the ED transmits an enable command to the IMD via a short-range communications channel requiring physical proximity to the IMD. As either an alternative or addition to the telemetry interlock, a data communications session between the IMD and ED over the telemetry channel may be allowed to occur only after the IMD and ED have been cryptographically authenticated to one other.

Claims

1. A method for implementing communications between an implantable medical device (IMD) and an external device (ED) over a telemetry channel, comprising:

limiting data communications between the IMD and ED over the telemetry channel with a telemetry interlock has been released, wherein the telemetry interlock is released when the IMD receives an enable command via a short-range communications channel requiring physical proximity to the IMD; and

,

allowing communication over the telemetry channel between the IMD and the ED but preventing programming of the IMD over the telemetry channel if the telemetry interlock is not released.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, after a communications session over the telemetry channel ends, the telemetry interlock is re-activated to limit communications over the telemetry channel until the telemetry interlock is again released.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the release of the telemetry interlock times out after a specified time period at which point the telemetry interlock is re-activated.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the short-range communications channel is an inductive communications link between the IMD and another device in proximity to the IMD.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the IMD and the device in proximity to the IMD must exchange keys inductively before the telemetry interlock is released.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the short-range communications channel is a switch within the IMD which is actuated by a magnet held in close proximity to the IMD to thereby release the telemetry interlock.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the short-range communications channel is a capacitive communications link between the IMD and another device in proximity to the IMD.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

authenticating the ED to the IMD when the IMD receives a message from the ED evidencing use of an encryption key expected to be possessed by the ED; and

,

limiting communications between the IMD and the ED such that a data communications session over the telemetry channel cannot be established unless the ED has been authenticated to the IMD.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

authenticating the IMD to the ED when the ED receives a message from the IMD evidencing use of an encryption key expected to be possessed by the IMD; and

,

allowing a data communications session between the IMD and ED over the telemetry channel to occur only after the IMD and ED have been authenticated to one other.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the ED and the IMD are authenticated to one another using public key cryptography by:

authenticating the IMD to the ED when the ED encrypts a first message with a public key having a corresponding private key expected to be possessed by the IMD, transmits the encrypted first message over the telemetry channel to the IMD, and receives in response a message from the IMD derived from the first message which thereby evidences possession of the corresponding private key by the IMD; and

,

authenticating the ED to the IMD when the IMD encrypts a second message with a public key having a corresponding private key expected to be possessed by the ED, transmits the encrypted second message over the telemetry channel to the ED, and receives in response a message from the ED derived from the second message which thereby evidences possession of the corresponding private key by the ED.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the ED and the IMD are authenticated to one another using secret key cryptography by:

authenticating the IMD to the ED when the ED transmits a first message to the IMD over the telemetry channel and receives in response a message derived from the first message which is encrypted by a secret key expected to be possessed by the IMD;

authenticating the ED to the IMD when the IMD transmits a second message to the ED over the telemetry channel and receives in response a message derived from the second message which is encrypted by a secret key expected to be possessed by the ED.

12. A system for implementing communications between an implantable medical device (IMD) and an external device (ED) over a telemetry channel, comprising:

means for limiting data communications between the IMD and ED over the telemetry channel with a telemetry interlock has been released, wherein the telemetry interlock is released when the IMD receives an enable command via a short-range communications channel requiring physical proximity to the IMD; and

,

means for allowing communication over the telemetry channel between the IMD and the ED but preventing programming of the IMD over the telemetry channel if the telemetry interlock is not released.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising means for, after a communications session over the telemetry channel ends, re-activating the telemetry interlock to limit communications over the telemetry channel until the telemetry interlock is again released.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising means for timing out the telemetry interlock after a specified time period at which point the telemetry interlock is re-activated.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the short-range communications channel is an inductive communications link between the IMD and another device in proximity to the IMD.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising means for preventing release of the telemetry interlock unless the IMD and the device in proximity to the IMD exchange keys inductively.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the short-range communications channel is a switch within the IMD which is actuated by a magnet held in close proximity to the IMD to thereby release the telemetry interlock.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the short-range communications channel is a capacitive communications link between the IMD and another device in proximity to the IMD.

19. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

means for authenticating the ED to the IMD when the IMD receives a message from the ED evidencing use of an encryption key expected to be possessed by the ED; and

,

means for limiting communications between the IMD and the ED such that a data communications session over the telemetry channel cannot be established unless the ED has been authenticated to the IMD.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

means for authenticating the IMD to the ED when the ED receives a message from the IMD evidencing use of an encryption key expected to be possessed by the IMD; and

,

means for allowing a data communications session between the IMD and ED over the telemetry channel to occur only after the IMD and ED have been authenticated to one other.