Secure Pairing of Electronic Devices using Dual Means of Communication

• US 20090069868A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Original Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Inventors: Hansen, Per Hvid, Thomsen, Terkel Valentin, Marnfeldt, Nils Goran, Holm, Per Einar Pontus, Bengtsson, Henrik, Munk, Jens Aage
• Granted Patent: US 9,173,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to secure paring of electronically controlled devices adapted to communicate with each other. Thus, a medical system is provided comprising a first unit and a second unit, the system comprising first means of communication allowing a first group of data types to be transmitted between the first unit and the second unit, and second means of communication allowing a second group of data types to be transmitted between the first unit and the second unit. In this way different properties of the two means of communication can be used to secure that certain data, e.g. during pairing of the two devices, can be transmitted in a more controlled way whereas other data can be transmitted in a less controlled way.

Claims

1. A medical system comprising a first unit (200) and a second unit (100), the system comprising:

first means of communication (190, 240) allowing a first group of data types to be transmitted between the first unit and the second unit, and

second means of communication (170, 180, 270, 280) allowing a second group of data types to be transmitted between the first unit and the second unit.

2. A medical system as in claim 1, wherein at least one means of communication comprises a wireless transmitter and corresponding receiver.

3. A medical system as in claim 1, wherein the first means of communication is selected from the group comprising:

RF communication, optical communication, ultrasonic communication, induction and a galvanic contact, and

wherein the second means of communication is selected from the group comprising;

RF communication, ultrasonic communication, and optical communication.

4. A medical system as in any of claim 1, wherein the first means of communication (411, 421) has a shorter range of communication than the second means of communication under given conditions.

5. A medical system as in claim 4, wherein tinder the given conditions the first means of communication has a range of communication less than 0.5 meter, and the second means of communication has a range of communication of more than 0.5 meter.

6. A medical system as in claim 4, wherein both the first and second means of communication are by wireless communication.

7. A medical system as in claim 4, wherein the first means of communication is RF communication at a frequency of less than 24 MHz, and the second means of communication is RF communication at a frequency of more than 24 MHz.

8. A medical system as in any of claim 1, wherein at least one of the means of communication (411, 421) provides uni-directional communication only between the two units.

9. A medical system as in any of claim 1, wherein the first means of communication provides uni-directional communication from the second unit, to the first unit, and the second means of communication provides bi-directional communication between the first unit and the second unit.

10. A medical system as in any of claim 1, wherein the first group of data types comprises a unique ID for the second unit and a time stamp.

11. A medical system as in any of claim 1, wherein the first group of data types comprises an activation command, the first unit being adapted to allow one or more types of commands from the second group of data types to be received and executed for a given period of time after an activation command has been received.

12. A medical system as in any of claim 1, wherein the second group of data types comprises a unique ID for the first unit.

13. A medical system as in claim 1, wherein the first unit is a process unit (200, 420) and the second unit (100, 410) is a remote controller unit.

14. A medical system as in claim 13, further comprising an acoustic transducer having a transducer coil (421) with a plurality of windings, the transducer coil serving as a receiver for wireless inductive signals.

15. A medical system as in claim 14, the process unit comprising:

a process unit transmitter (270),

a process unit receiver (280), and

a process unit processor (210) connected to the process unit transmitter, the process unit receiver and the transducer coil (240),

the controller unit comprising;

a first controller unit transmitter (190) adapted to transmit information the transducer coil,

a second controller unit transmitter (170) adapted to transmit information to the process unit receiver,

a controller unit receiver (180) adapted for receiving information from the process unit transmitter, and

a controller unit processor (110) connected to the first and second controller unit transmitters and the controller unit receiver,

wherein the first means of communication comprises the transducer coil and the first controller unit transmitter, and the second means of communication comprises the process unit transmitter, the process unit receiver, the second controller unit transmitter, and the controller unit it receiver.

16. A medical system as in any of claim 13, wherein the process unit comprises a reservoir (230) adapted to contain a fluid drug, an expelling assembly (220) adapted for cooperation with the reservoir to expel fluid drug from the reservoir to a subject via an outlet, and processor means for controlling the expelling assembly.

17. A medical system as in claim 16, wherein the first group of data types comprises at least one type of command controlling the delivery of an amount of fluid drug to the subject.

18. A medical device as in claim 16, wherein time outlet comprises a transcutaneous access device, thereby allowing a fluid drug to be expelled out of the reservoir and through the skin of the subject via the transcutaneous access device.

19. A medical system as in any of claim 1, wherein the first unit comprises processor means adapted to transmit and/or process data acquired via a sensor device.

20. A medical system as in claim 19, further comprising a transcutaneous sensor device adapted for cooperation with the processor means.

21. A medical system as in claim 1, further comprising a transcutaneous device unit (2), the transcutaneous device unit comprising:

a transcutaneous device, and

a mounting surface (12) adapted for application to the skin of a subject,

wherein the transcutaneous device unit and the first unit (5) are adapted to be secured to each other to form a combined device.

24. A medical system as in claim 1, wherein at least one data type can only be transmitted by one of the first and second means of communication.

25. A medical system as in claim 1, wherein at least one data type can be transmitted by both of the first and second means of communication.

22. A medical unit (200, 420), comprising first means of communication (421) allowing a first group of data types to be transmitted between the unit and a further unit, and second (422) means of communication allowing a second group of data types to be transmitted between the unit and the further unit.

23. A medical unit as in claim 22, wherein at least one of the means of communication provides uni-directional communication only between the unit and the further unit.

26. A method of Operating a medical system comprising first and second units, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) providing a medical system having first and second units, (ii) transmitting a first group of data types between the first unit and the second unit using first means of communication, and (iii) transmitting a second group of data types between the first unit and the second unit using second means of communication.

27. A method as in claim 26, wherein at least one means of communication is wireless.