System and method for controlling authentication of a physiological acquistion device by a patient monitor

• US 9,986,314 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Stoddard, Nathaniel Frederic, Weyenberg, Todd, Hernke, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US15/359,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20180146266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/88 Providing power supply at the sub-station
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A patient monitor includes a data connector configured to connect to a corresponding data connector of an approved physiological data acquisition device to provide data transmission to and from the approved physiological data acquisition device, and a power connector configured to connect to a corresponding power connector of the approved physiological data acquisition device to provide power to the approved physiological data acquisition device. The patient monitor further includes a control module configured to detect connection of a corresponding power connector of an unidentified device at the power connection port and/or a corresponding data connector of the unidentified device to the data connector, and provide a limited power amount to the unidentified device through the power connector. The control module performs an authentication process to determine that the unidentified device is the approved physiological data acquisition device, and then provides a full power amount through the power connector to the approved physiological data acquisition device.

Claims

1. A patient monitor comprising:

a data connector configured to connect to a corresponding data connector of an approved physiological data acquisition device to provide data transmission to and from the approved physiological data acquisition device;

a power connector configured to connect to a corresponding power connector of the approved physiological data acquisition device to provide power to the approved physiological data acquisition device;

a control module configured to;

detect connection of a corresponding power connector of an unidentified device to the power connector and/or a corresponding data connector of the unidentified device to the data connector;

provide a limited power amount to the unidentified device through the power connector, wherein the limited power amount is sufficient to power the authentication process by the unidentified device, but is insufficient to power physiological data acquisition by the unidentified device;

perform an authentication process to determine that the unidentified device is the approved physiological data acquisition device; and

provide a full power amount through the power connector to the approved physiological data acquisition device so as to power physiological data acquisition by the physiological data acquisition device.

2. The patient monitor of claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to prevent display of physiological data from the unidentified device to the patient monitor until after it determines that the unidentified device is the approved physiological data acquisition device.

3. The patient monitor of claim 2, wherein the patient monitor:

receives physiological data from the approved physiological data acquisition device after the control module determines that the unidentified device is the approved physiological data acquisition device; and

transmits at least a portion of the physiological data to a host network.

4. The patient monitor of claim 3, wherein the patient monitor displays at least a portion of the physiological data from the approved physiological data acquisition device on a display.

5. The patient monitor of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to:

provide hash key through the data connector to the unidentified device;

process the hash key with a hashing algorithm to create a monitor hash result;

receive a device hash result through the data connector from the unidentified device;

compare the device hash result to the monitor hash result; and

determine that the unidentified device is the approved physiological data acquisition device if the device hash result matches the monitor hash result.

6. The patient monitor of claim 5, wherein the control module is further configured to prevent transfer of physiological data from the unidentified device to the patient monitor other than the device hash result until after it determines that the device hash result matches the monitor hash result.

7. The patient monitor of claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to:

receive a device identification code from the unidentified device; and

determine that the device identification code matches one of a list of acceptable identification codes prior to receiving the device hash result from the unidentified device.

8. The patient monitor of claim 1, wherein the data connector and the power connector are provided in a single connection port on the patient monitor that receives a single corresponding connection element containing the corresponding data connector and the corresponding power connector.

9. The patient monitor of claim 1, wherein the data connector is a wireless transceiver in the patient monitor configured to wirelessly connect to the corresponding data connector, which is a wireless transceiver in the approved data acquisition device.

10. The patient monitor of claim 1, wherein the limited power amount is an available current of 50 milliamps.

11. A method for controlling authentication of an approved physiological data acquisition device by a patient monitor, the method comprising:

detecting connection of a corresponding power connector of an unidentified device to the power connector and/or a corresponding data connector of the unidentified device to the data connector;

providing a limited power amount to the unidentified device through the power connector, wherein the limited power amount is sufficient to power the authentication process by the unidentified device, but is insufficient to power physiological data acquisition by the unidentified device;

performing an authentication process to determine that the unidentified device is an approved physiological data acquisition device; and

providing a full power amount through the power connector to the approved physiological data acquisition device so as to power physiological data acquisition by the physiological data acquisition device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the authentication process includes:

providing hash key through the data connector to the unidentified device;

processing the hash key with a hashing algorithm to create a monitor hash result;

receiving a device hash result through the data connector from the unidentified device;

comparing the device hash result to the monitor hash result; and

determining that the unidentified device is the approved physiological data acquisition device if the device hash result matches the monitor hash result.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising preventing transfer of physiological data from the unidentified device to the patient monitor until after determining that the device hash result matches the monitor hash result.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving physiological data from the approved physiological data acquisition device after determining that the device hash result matches the monitor hash result; and

transmitting at least a portion of the physiological data to a host network.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying on a display in the patient monitor at least a portion of the physiological data from the approved physiological data acquisition device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the authentication process further includes:

receiving a device identification code through the data connector from the unidentified device; and

determining that the device identification code matches one of a list of acceptable identification codes prior to receiving the device hash result from the unidentified device.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the unidentified device is not the approved physiological device if the device hash result does not match the monitor hash result;

continuing to provide the limited power amount to the unidentified device through the power connector; and

preventing display of physiological data from the unidentified device to the patient monitor.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising preventing display of physiological data from the unidentified device to the patient monitor until after determining that the unidentified device is the approved physiological data acquisition device.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the authentication process includes:

receiving a device identification code from the unidentified device; and

determining that the device identification code matches one of a list of acceptable identification codes prior to receiving the device hash result from the unidentified device.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the unidentified device is not the approved physiological device; and

continuing to provide the limited power amount to the unidentified device through the power connector; and

preventing transfer of physiological data from the unidentified device to the patient monitor.