Method for External Storage of Medical Device Program Design Parameters

• US 20130291116A1
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gregg S. Homer
• Original Assignee: Gregg S. Homer
• Inventors: Homer, Gregg S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,208,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1083 Partial license transfers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/14 against software analysis or reverse engineering, e.g. by obfuscation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies

Abstract

Many electronic medical devices include program design features that direct the operation of the device. The program design features of most electronic medical devices reside in the device itself and therefore are easily discovered by reverse engineering. In most cases, however, these features can be introduced into the device from an external source for only so long as necessary for each operation of the device, thereby making the reverse engineering of these features more difficult (or even impossible) and preserving a greater degree of design secrecy.

Claims

1. A method for protecting the secrecy of a software operating parameters for an electronic medical device comprising:

providing the device,

wherein the device is capable of performing a medical procedure,

the parameter is omitted from the device,

the parameter is embodied in a digital file,

the file is transmitted to the device over a communications network,

the transmission of the parameter is completed prior to the commencement of the procedure,

the device comprises a memory function,

at least a portion of the file resides in the device memory prior to completion of the procedure, and

at least a portion of the parameters becomes unavailable to the device upon the occurrence of at an event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the device generates laser energy.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the network comprises the internet.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the network comprises at least one of a WAN, LAN, serial or parallel connection, phone line, cable, fiber optics, satellite transmission, microwave transmission, cellular transmission, radio transmission, regular mail, or messenger.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the procedure is performed on a patient and is not customized for the patient.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the procedure is performed on a patient and is customized for the patient.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the event comprises the passage of a predetermined period of time.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the period of time is comprises approximately the estimated period of time from the commencement of the file transmission to the commencement of the procedure.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the period of time comprises approximately the estimated period of time from the commencement of the file transmission to the completion of the procedure.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the event comprises tampering with the device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the device is contained within a housing, and the tampering comprises tampering with the housing.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the memory is temporary.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the file is transmitted to the device from a remote computer.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the file is encrypted.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein the operating parameters comprises at least one of energy output, beam diameter, pulse width, repetition rate, spot separation, line separation, and number of scans.

31. The method of claim 1 or 16 wherein the means by which the parameter becomes unavailable to the device is deletion of the file.

32. The method of claim 1 or 16 wherein the means by which the parameter becomes unavailable to the device is alteration of the file.

33. The method of claim 1 or 16 wherein the means by which the parameter becomes unavailable to the device is clearing of the file from the data buffer.

16. A method for protecting the secrecy of a software operating parameters for an electronic medical device comprising:

transmitting a digital file to the device over a communications network,

wherein the device is capable of performing a medical procedure,

the parameter is omitted from the device,

the parameter is embodied in the file,

the transmission of the parameter is completed prior to the commencement of the procedure,

the device comprises a memory function,

at least a portion of the file resides in the device memory prior to completion of the procedure, and

at least a portion of the parameters becomes unavailable to the device upon the occurrence an event.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the device generates laser energy.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the network is comprises the internet.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the network comprises at least one of a WAN, LAN, serial or parallel connection, phone line, cable, fiber optics, satellite transmission, microwave transmission, cellular transmission, radio transmission, regular mail, or messenger.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the procedure is performed on a patient and is not customized for the patient.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the procedure is performed on a patient and is customized for the patient.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the event comprises the passage of a predetermined period of time.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the period of time is comprises approximately the estimated period of time from the commencement of the file transmission to the commencement of the procedure.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the period of time is comprises approximately the estimated time from the commencement of the file transmission to the completion of the procedure.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein the event comprises tampering with the device.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the device is contained within a housing, and the tampering comprises tampering with the housing.

27. The method of claim 16 wherein the memory is temporary.

28. The method of claim 16 wherein the file is transmitted from a remote computer.

29. The method of claim 16 wherein the file is encrypted.

30. The method of claim 17 wherein the parameter comprises at least one of energy output, beam diameter, pulse width, repetition rate, spot separation, line separation, and number of scans.