PROXIMITY SIGNATURE FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION WITH IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20090082834A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Leong, Patrick S., Roberts, Earle T., Sarkinen, Scott A., Kalpin, Scott L., Mitchell, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,682,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/88 Medical equipments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062

Abstract

Systems, devices and methods employing coded magnetic fields or transfer of encryption key information via proximity telemetry are described. The systems, methods and devices help prevent or reduce unintended or unintentional distance telemetry communication between an external medical device and an implantable medical device.

Claims

1. A method associated with establishing secure communication between an implantable medical device and an external device, the method being performed by the implantable medical device and comprising:

receiving a first distance telemetry request for secure distance communication;

determining whether a coded proximity telemetry signal is being received;

transmitting, via proximity telemetry, information regarding an encryption key if the coded proximity telemetry signal has been received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first distance telemetry request comprises information regarding the coding of the proximity telemetry signal, and wherein determining whether the coded proximity telemetry signal is being received comprises comparing the information regarding the coding to the coded proximity telemetry signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a predetermined amount of time has passed; and

declining to establish a secure communication if the coded proximity telemetry signal is not received within the predetermined time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a second distance telemetry communication containing information encrypted according to the encryption key is being received.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

accepting the request for secure distance communication if the second distance telemetry communication contains information encrypted according to the encryption key.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the coded proximity telemetry signal is a coded magnetic field.

15. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein one or more components of the inductive transmitter module are one or more components of an inductive transceiver module.

7. A method associated with establishing secure communication between an implantable medical device and an external device, the method being performed by the implantable medical device and comprising:

receiving a first distance telemetry request for secure distance communication;

transmitting, via proximity telemetry, information regarding an encryption key;

determining whether a second distance telemetry communication containing information encrypted according to the encryption key is being received; and

accepting the request for secure distance communication if the second distance telemetry communication contains information encrypted according to the encryption key.

8. A method associated with establishing secure communication between an implantable medical device and an external device, the method being performed by the implantable medical device and comprising:

receiving a first distance telemetry request for secure distance communication;

determining whether a coded proximity telemetry signal is being received, the coded proximity telemetry signal comprising a coded magnetic field; and

accepting the request for secure distance communication if coded proximity telemetry signal has been received.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting via distance telemetry information regarding an encryption key;

determining whether a second distance telemetry communication containing information encrypted according to the encryption key is being received; and

declining the request for secure distance communication if the second distance telemetry communication does not contain information encrypted according to the encryption key.

10. An implantable medical device comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver module;

an inductive receiver module; and

a processor operably coupled to the radio frequency transceiver module and the inductive receiver module, wherein the processor is configured to compare signals received by the radio frequency transceiver module and the inductive receiver module to determine whether the signal received by the inductive receiver module is coded in a manner prescribed by the signal received by the radio frequency transceiver module.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to establish secure communication via the radio frequency transceiver module if the signal received by the inductive receiver module is coded in a manner prescribed by the signal received by the radio frequency transceiver module.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein one or more components of the inductive receiver module are one or more components of an inductive transceiver module of the device.

13. An implantable medical device comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver module;

an inductive transmitter module; and

a processor operably coupled to the radio frequency transceiver module and the inductive transmitter module, wherein the processor is configured to cause the inductive transmitter module to transmit a signal containing information regarding an encryption key and is configured to determine whether a signal received via the radio frequency transceiver is encrypted according to the encryption key.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to establish secure communication via the radio frequency transceiver module if the signal received via the radio frequency transceiver is encrypted according to the encryption key.

16. An external medical device capable of communicating with an implantable medical device, the external medical device comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver module;

an inductive receiver module; and

a processor operably coupled to the radio frequency transceiver module and the inductive transmitter module, wherein the processor is configured to cause the radio frequency module to transmit information encrypted according to encryption key information received from the inductive receiver module.

17. The external medical device of claim 16, wherein one or more components of the inductive receiver module are one or more components of an inductive transceiver module.

18. An external medical device capable of communicating with an implantable medical device, the external medical device comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver module;

an inductive transmitter module; and

a processor operably coupled to the radio frequency transceiver module and the inductive transmitter module, wherein the processor is configured to cause the inductive transmitter module to transmit a coded magnetic field.

19. The external medical device of claim 18, wherein one or more components of the inductive transmitter module are one or more components of an inductive transceiver module.