SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE FOR MEDICAL IMPLANT

• US 20170259072A1
• Filed: 03/09/2017
• Published: 09/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Newham, Adam Edward, Attar, Rashid Ahmed Akbar, Palanigounder, Anand
• Application Number:
  US15/454,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20170259072A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/03 Detecting, measuring or recording fluid pressure within the body other than blood pressure, e.g. cerebral pressure; Measuring pressure in body tissues or organs A61B5/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36135 using physiological parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• 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 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 : Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 : with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 : Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 : using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 : Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 : Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 : using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in an implant device capable of being configured by an external hospital interrogator device when the external hospital interrogator device is authenticated, and capable of communicating data regarding a patient when paired with an external home interrogator device. The implant device includes RF communications circuitry, one or more sensors configured to measure and/or collect data regarding the patient, and a control system. The control system is configured to receive instructions from the external hospital interrogator device for configuring the implant device when the external hospital interrogator device is authenticated, and receive identification data from the external hospital interrogator device for pairing the implant device with the external home interrogator device.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a radio-frequency (RF) communications circuitry;

one or more sensors configured to measure and/or collect physiological data; and

a control system coupled to the RF communications circuitry and coupled to the one or more sensors, wherein the control system is configured to;

receive instructions from a first external interrogator device for configuring the implantable medical device when the first external interrogator device is authenticated; and

receive identification data from the first external interrogator device for pairing the implantable medical device with a second external interrogator device.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the identification data includes a secret key or public/private key pairs provided by the first external interrogator device.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the first external interrogator device is provisioned with user credentials for authenticating one or more users to access the first external interrogator device.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to cause the RF communications circuitry to transmit the physiological data to the second external interrogator device when the second external interrogator device is paired with the implantable medical device.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein the RF communications circuitry is configured to cause the RF communications circuitry to transmit the physiological data to the second external interrogator device in a Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) frequency band or a Bluetooth frequency band.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the second external interrogator device includes a carrier board and a computing device, wherein the carrier board includes an RF unit for wirelessly communicating with the implantable medical device and the computing device includes a wireless communications component for wirelessly communicating with a wireless communication hub or a cellular device.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

wireless charger; and

a rechargeable battery coupled to the wireless charger, wherein the wireless charger is configured to receive signals to wirelessly charge the rechargeable battery in a mid-field frequency range between about 100 MHz and about 5 GHz or in a near-field frequency range.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 7, further comprising:

a clock die; and

a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) die, wherein the clock die and the PMIC die are constructed at a fabrication node configured for direct attachment to the rechargeable battery without protection circuitry.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein the wireless charger and the RF communications circuitry share an antenna configured to receive and/or transmit signals in the near-field frequency range.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein the control system is further configured to:

receive a trigger signal from the wireless charger; and

pair the implantable medical device with the second external interrogator device upon receipt of the trigger signal.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

pair the implantable medical device with the second external interrogator device after the second external interrogator device is authenticated; and

establish session keys using an authenticated key agreement protocol for transmitting the physiological data to the second external interrogator device.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to receive instructions from the first external interrogator device via a local area network or direct physical connection.

13. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure electrical stimulation activity of a nerve.

14. An interrogator device, comprising:

a first wireless communications component configured to communicate subcutaneously with an implant device;

a second wireless communications component configured to communicate with an electronic device external to the implant device; and

a control system configured to;

receive identification data for pairing the interrogator device with the implant device;

identify the implant device using the identification data to pair the interrogator device with the implant device; and

receive physiological data from the implant device protected using session keys established using an authenticated key agreement protocol.

15. The interrogator device of claim 14, wherein the identification data includes a secret key or public/private key pairs provided to the implant device by a remote device.

17. The interrogator device of claim 14, further comprising:

a carrier board, wherein the carrier board includes the first wireless communications component; and

a computing device, wherein the computing device includes the second wireless communications component, wherein the carrier board and the computing device are in communication with each other via a bidirectional communication interface.

18. The interrogator device of claim 14, wherein the first wireless communications component is configured to communicate subcutaneously with the implant device in a MICS frequency band or in a Bluetooth frequency band, and wherein the second wireless communications component is configured to communicate with the electronic device over one or more of a wide area network, personal area network, local area network, near-field communication (NFC) or any combination thereof.

19. The interrogator device of claim 18, wherein the second wireless communications component is configured to communicate with the electronic device in a Bluetooth frequency band or a Wi-Fi frequency band.

20. The interrogator device of claim 14, wherein the electronic device is a cellular device or a wireless communications hub device, and wherein the electronic device is configured to transmit the physiological data to a cloud-based database system.

21. The interrogator device of claim 14, wherein the interrogator device is integrated in a multifunctional wearable device.

22. The interrogator device of claim 14, further including a wireless charger coupled to the first wireless communications component, wherein the wireless charger is configured to wirelessly charge the implant device.

16. The interrogator device of 15, wherein the remote device is provisioned with user credentials for authenticating one or more users to access the remote device.

23. An interrogator device, comprising:

a wireless communications component configured to communicate subcutaneously with an implant device;

a memory configured to store user credentials for authenticating one or more users to access the interrogator device; and

a control system configured to;

authenticate a user to access the interrogator device using the user credentials;

establish secure communication between the interrogator device and the implant device; and

transmit, via the wireless communications component, instructions to the implant device to configure one or more operations of the implant device.

24. The interrogator device of claim 23, wherein the control system is further configured to:

provide identification data to a remote device and the implant device for pairing the remote device and the implant device, wherein the identification data includes a secret key or public/private key pairs.

25. The interrogator device of claim 23, wherein the control system is configured to transmit instructions to the implant device via a local area network or direct physical connection.

26. The interrogator device of claim 23, wherein the control system is further configured to:

determine, after authenticating the user to access the interrogator device, that the user has privileges to be able to access features for transmitting instructions to the implant device.

27. The interrogator device of claim 23, wherein the wireless communications component is further configured to wirelessly charge a battery in the implant device.

28. A method of operating an implant device, comprising:

receiving, via one or more sensors of an implant device, physiological data associated with a treatment profile of a patient;

receiving non-physiological data from the implant device or from a device external to the implant device;

determining that the non-physiological data, alone or in combination with the physiological data, satisfies a condition; and

adjusting, via one or more processors of the implant device, an operation of the implant device in response to determining that the condition has been satisfied.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the non-physiological data includes one or more of environmental data, activity data, user data, system condition data, and contextual data.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the non-physiological data includes environmental data received from the device external to the implant device, the environmental data including one or more of ambient pressure, temperature, sound, light, humidity, location, air quality, pollen count, carbon dioxide, and odor.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein adjusting an operation of the implant device includes adjusting a polling rate of the one or more sensors of the implant device.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein adjusting an operation of the implant device includes adjusting the treatment profile of the patient.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein receiving the non-physiological data includes receiving non-physiological data from the device external to the implant device when the device external to the implant device is authenticated.