SECURE REMOTE ACCESS FOR AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20110098788A1
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sylvia Quiles
• Original Assignee: Sylvia Quiles
• Inventors: Quiles, Sylvia
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals

Abstract

This document discloses, among other things, a telemetry system that controls access to assets of an implantable device as a function of the manner of initiating the communication session or an access code. A tiered hierarchy of assets are associated with corresponding levels of access. A tiered array of security mechanisms are associated with the hierarchy of assets.

Claims

1. An implantable device comprising:

a processor;

an electrical circuit coupled to the processor;

a transceiver coupled to the processor and configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device; and

a memory accessible to the processor and having instructions stored thereon for implementing a plurality of communication session modes, a particular communication session mode associated with a user-entered access code and wherein a first mode is associated with a first set of one or more implantable device assets and a second mode is associated with a second set of one or more implantable device assets and wherein the first set and second set are different,

wherein, while in the first mode, the processor is configured to;

receive a request for access to the first set of assets, wherein a security protocol is applied in the first mode to a communicated request according to the user access code, wherein the security protocol is one of a plurality of security protocols have varying different levels of complexity according to a level of potential risk posed to patient health by the access to sets of assets;

permit access to the first set of assets when the security protocol meets a level of security required to access the first set of assets; and

prevent access to the first set of assets when the level of security of the security protocol does not meet the level of security required to access the first set of assets.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first set of assets includes at least one executable process.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the access code from an external device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuit includes at least one of a therapy circuit configured to deliver therapy to an organ and a monitor circuit configured to monitor at least one of a physiological parameter and a device parameter.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the therapy circuit is configured to deliver an electrical pulse.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein a communication session mode is determined by a signal received by the transceiver.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the signal is received upon initiation of a communication session.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the first mode is instantiated upon receiving a first signal and the second mode is instantiated upon receiving a second signal.

9. The device of claim 6, further including:

a near field antenna coupled to the transceiver; and

wherein the first signal is received by the near field antenna.

10. The device of claim 6, further including:

a far field antenna coupled to the transceiver; and

wherein the second signal is received by the far field antenna.

11. The device of claim 6, further including:

a near field antenna; and

a far field antenna; and

wherein a communication session initiated by the near field antenna triggers the first mode and a communication session initiated by the far field antenna triggers the second mode, wherein the second mode has a more restrictive security protocol than the first mode.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive, as the request for access to the first set of assets, at least one of:

a request to access an asset that affects communications with the implantable device;

a request to execute a diagnostic test; and

a command for uploading software.

13. The device of claim 1, including a first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna, wherein the first communication session mode uses the first receiving antenna and the second communication session mode uses the second receiving antenna.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive an encrypted request for access to the first set of assets

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of security protocols includes at least one of a public key infrastructure (PKI) algorithm, a message authentication algorithm, and a non-repudiation algorithm.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive a request to change the implantable device from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein the first configuration differs from the second configuration.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to implement the change by storing at least one parameter in a temporary memory register and operating the device according to the stored parameter.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein processor is configured to store the parameter in permanent memory following a command received from the external device in the first communication session mode.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to revert the implantable device to the first configuration when the communication session is interrupted.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the access code from an external device, and wherein the first set of assets is identified by the access code.