UNIVERSAL USB-BASED TELEMETRY RF HEAD

• US 20080082144A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Marcotte, James, Petersen, Christopher M.
• Application Number:
  US11/537,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082144A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals

Abstract

A telemetry module connects to a computing device in order to perform functions related to programming and interaction with an implantable medical device (IMD). The telemetry module manages communication between the computing device and the IMD, and ensures that instructions provided by the computing device for programming the IMD are valid and safe before those instructions are executed.

Claims

1. A telemetry module comprising:

telemetry electronics for communicating first signals with an implantable medical device (IMD);

an interface for communicating second signals with a computing device; and

a processing unit comprising software for controlling communications between the IMD and the computer device via the telemetry electronics and the interface, for certifying the validity of instructions for programming the IMD communicated by the computing device, and for enabling performance of the instructions for programming the IMD only after the instructions are certified as valid.

2. The telemetry module of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

3. The telemetry module of claim 1, wherein the telemetry module further comprises an input/output (I/O) interface for displaying information related to the status of the IMD and/or inputting programming instructions.

4. The telemetry module of claim 1, wherein the telemetry module further comprises application software for executing the instructions for programming the IMD.

5. The telemetry module of claim 1, wherein the software for certifying the validity of the instructions for programming the IMD executes an encryption scheme to certify the validity of the instructions.

6. The telemetry module of claim 5, wherein the software for certifying the validity of the instructions for programming the IMD includes:

software for determining whether a software fingerprint of the computing device is valid.

7. The telemetry module of claim 6, wherein the software for determining whether a software fingerprint of the computing device is valid is operable to:

provide a public key associated with the telemetry module to the computing device;

receive the software fingerprint of the computing device encrypted with the public key;

decrypt the software fingerprint of the computing device with a private key associated with the telemetry module; and

determine whether the software fingerprint is valid.

8. The telemetry module of claim 6, wherein transmissions between the telemetry module and the computing device are encrypted and decrypted with a random symmetric key that is generated after determining that the software fingerprint of the computing device is valid.

9. The telemetry module of claim 5, wherein the software for certifying the validity of the instructions for programming the IMD is operable to determine whether vital signs are within an appropriate range for the instructions to be executed.

10. The telemetry module of claim 5, wherein the software for certifying the validity of the instructions for programming the IMD is operable to determine whether certain auxiliary equipment is present to provide safety for the execution of the instructions.

11. An implantable medical device (IMD) programming system comprising:

a computing device operable to generate and communicate programming instructions for programming an IMD; and

a telemetry module comprising;

telemetry electronics for communication with the implantable medical device (IMD);

an interface for communication with the computing device; and

a processing unit comprising software for controlling communications with the IMD and with the computer device via the telemetry electronics and the interface, respectively, for certifying the validity of the programming instructions communicated by the computing device, and for enabling performance of the programming instructions to program the IMD only after the instructions are certified as valid.

12. The IMD programming system of claim 11, wherein the interface of the telemetry module comprises a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

13. The IMD programming system of claim 11, wherein the telemetry module further comprises an input/output (I/O) interface for displaying information related to the status of the IMD and/or inputting programming instructions.

14. The IMD programming system of claim 11, wherein the telemetry module further comprises application software for executing the instructions for programming the IMD.

15. The IMD programming system of claim 11, wherein the software for certifying the validity of the instructions for programming the IMD executes an encryption scheme to certify the validity of the instructions.

16. A method of programming an implantable medical device (IMD) with a telemetry module, the method comprising:

generating programming instructions with a computing device;

establishing a communication session between the computing device and the telemetry module;

determining, at the telemetry module, whether the programming instructions generated by the computing device are valid for programming the IMD; and

upon certification of the programming instructions, operating the telemetry module to program the IMD according to the programming instructions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of establishing a communication session between the computing device and the telemetry module and determining, at the telemetry module, whether the programming instructions generated by the computing device are valid for programming the IMD comprises:

generating a software fingerprint at the computing device;

transmitting the software fingerprint from the computing device to the telemetry module; and

determining, at the telemetry module, whether the software fingerprint is valid.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein transmitting the software fingerprint from the computing device to the telemetry module and determining, at the telemetry module, whether the software fingerprint is valid, involves an encryption scheme.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein upon determining that the software fingerprint is valid, a symmetric key is generated for encryption and decryption of future transmissions between the telemetry module and the computing device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein determining, at the telemetry module, whether the programming instructions generated by the computing device are valid for programming the IMD comprises determining whether vital signs are within an appropriate range for the instructions to be executed.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein determining, at the telemetry module, whether the programming instructions generated by the computing device are valid for programming the IMD comprises determining whether certain auxiliary equipment is present to provide safety for the execution of the instructions.

22. An implantable medical device (IMD) programming system comprising:

a computing device executing an application program that is operable to generate and communicate programming instructions for programming an IMD, and to display information related to data retrieved from the IMD; and

a telemetry module comprising;

a telemetry processing unit connected to the computing device via a universal serial bus (USB) interface to receive power from the computing device and for communicative coupling to the computing device; and

a telemetry head connected to the telemetry processing unit for receiving transformed power to operate the telemetry head to wirelessly communicate with the IMD to interrogate the IMD so that data is retrieved and can be passed to the telemetry processing unit and on to the computing device, and to transmit signals for programming the IMD.

23. The IMD programming system of claim 22, wherein the application program executed by the computing device is stored in a medium that is physically blocked from being accessed without a tool.

24. The IMD programming system of claim 22, wherein the IMD is a pacemaker, and wherein the application program comprises an emergency key function that activates emergency pacing only when two buttons are simultaneously activated.

25. The IMD programming system of claim 22, wherein the data retrieved from the IMD is handled via Unicode resource DLLs that support the Chinese language.