Ambulatory repeater for use in automated patient care

• US 20070288069A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Johnson, Donald Goscha, Lisa Haeder, Marina Brockway, Muralidharan Srivanthsa, Veerichetty Kadhiresan
• Original Assignee: David Johnson, Donald Goscha, Lisa Haeder, Marina Brockway, Muralidharan Srivanthsa, Veerichetty Kadhiresan
• Inventors: Brockway, Marina, Srivanthsa, Muralidharan, Johnson, David, Kadhiresan, Veerichetty, Haeder, Lisa, Goscha, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,967,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry

Abstract

An ambulatory repeater for use in automated patient care is presented. A local memory store includes a cryptographic key, sensitive information, and physiological measures. The cryptographic key is uniquely assigned to the implantable medical device prior to implant of the implantable medical device into a patient. The sensitive information is preencrypted under the cryptographic key and physiological measures are measured by the implantable medical device. An authentication module is in receipt of the cryptographic key. A permissions module confirms authorization of an external data processing device against the cryptographic key. A decryption module decrypts the sensitive information with the cryptographic key into decrypted information. A processor is operatively coupled to the local memory store. A communications module exchanges the decrypted information and the physiological measures with the external data processing device over a wireless interface contingent upon the authorization confirmation. An internal power supply supplies power to the foregoing components.

Claims

1. A secure wireless ambulatory repeater, comprising:

a cryptographic key uniquely assigned to an implantable medical device;

sensitive information preencrypted under the cryptographic key;

physiological measures measured by the implantable medical device;

a decryption module decrypting the sensitive information with the cryptographic key into decrypted information; and

a communications module exchanging the decrypted information and the physiological measures with the external data processing device over a wireless interface contingent upon authorization of the external data processing device.

2. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 1, further comprising:

a telemetry interface to the implantable medical device over which the cryptographic key, the sensitive information, and the physiological measures are securely received.

3. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 2, wherein the telemetry interface operates over at least one of inductive telemetry, radio frequency telemetry, and Bluetooth telemetry.

4. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 1, wherein the cryptographic key is maintained in a key escrow.

5. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 1, wherein the physiological measures are measured by a sensor comprised in the implantable medical device.

6. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 1, further comprising:

an activation module to transition the ambulatory repeater from a standby mode; and

a standby module to transition the ambulatory repeater from an active mode.

7. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 6, wherein the activation module is at least one of internally triggered by at least one of a schedule, an alert condition, and a manual override, and remotely triggered by the external data processing device.

8. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 1, wherein the ambulatory repeater is housed within one of a handheld form factor and a wearable form factor.

9. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 1, wherein the physiological measures comprises one or more of physiological and behavioral data.

10. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 1, wherein the external data processing device is selected from the group comprising a server, personal computer, repeater, and programmer.

11. An ambulatory repeater for use in automated patient care, comprising:

a local memory store, comprising;

a cryptographic key uniquely assigned to the implantable medical device prior to implant of the implantable medical device into a patient; and

sensitive information preencrypted under the cryptographic key and physiological measures measured by the implantable medical device;

an authentication module in receipt of the cryptographic key, comprising;

a permissions module confirming authorization of an external data processing device against the cryptographic key; and

a decryption module decrypting the sensitive information with the cryptographic key into decrypted information; and

a processor operatively coupled to the local memory store, comprising;

a communications module exchanging the decrypted information and the physiological measures with the external data processing device over a wireless interface contingent upon the authorization confirmation; and

an internal power supply supplying power to the foregoing components.

12. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 11, wherein the processor further comprises one or more of:

an analysis module, which includes functionality comprising one or more of analysis, translation, interpretation, and display of the decrypted information and the physiological measures;

a schedule module controlling periodic exchange of the sensitive information and the physiological measures with the implantable medical device and the external data processing device; and

an override module controlling on-demand interrogation of the implantable medical device.

13. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 11, wherein the wireless interface is selected from the group comprising radio frequency telemetry and cellular telemetry.

14. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 11, wherein the physiological measures are selected from the group comprising pulse, blood pressure, glucose level, sweat, patient ambulatory activities, weight, salinity, cumulative totals of sensed and paced events, transmission of electrograms, output circuit, battery parameters, battery depletion, sensor activities, pacing, cardiac health information monitoring, data transmission in-process indication, alert condition detection, impending therapy resynchronization, defibrillation, neural stimulation, and drug delivery measures.

15. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 11, further comprising:

a user operable interface, comprising;

user-operable input controls, which are selected from the group comprising a keyboard, a pointing device, a microphone, and a button array; and

user-perceptible output devices, which are selected from the group comprising a display, a speaker, and a tactile feedback generator.

16. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 11, further comprising:

an alarm generator comprising a trigger, which is tripped whenever one or more of a health-based condition and a device-specific circumstance occurs.

17. An ambulatory repeater according to claim 11, wherein the internal power supply is selected from the group comprising a rechargeable battery and a replaceable battery.

18. A system for applying an ambulatory repeater to secure information exchange in automated patient care, comprising:

an implantable medical device implanted into a patient, comprising;

a cryptographic key uniquely assigned prior to implant;

sensitive information preencrypted under a cryptographic key; and

physiological measures measured on an ad hoc basis by a sensor;

an ambulatory repeater, comprising;

a storage comprising the cryptographic key;

a permissions module confirming authorization of an external data processing device against the cryptographic key;

a decryption module decrypting the sensitive information with the cryptographic key into decrypted information; and

an external data processing device, comprising;

an interrogator receiving the decrypted information and the physiological measures from the ambulatory repeater over a wireless interface contingent upon the authorization confirmation.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the ambulatory repeater interrogates the implantable medical device according to at least one of on demand and per a schedule.

20. A system according to claim 18, further comprising:

a key generator, comprising one or more of;

a static key generator generating the cryptographic key for persistent storage; and

a dynamic key generator generating the cryptographic key for non-persistent storage.