Variable encryption scheme for data transfer between medical devices and related data management systems

• US 20010027331A1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Published: 10/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Thompson, David L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,622,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

The present invention provides for an encryption apparatus, system, and method in which data from an Implantable Medical Device (IMD) and a data center could be transferred based on a differentiated encryption system. The encryption scheme allows for the differentiation, segregation, and classification of data at required or needed levels of security. Before transfer of the data, either from an IMD or any other part of a support network for the IMDs, the encryption device begins to distinguish the data. The variable data is then classified based on various levels of security having distinct encryption protocols. After classification the data is encrypted based on the data'"'"'s level of security. The data is then transmitted. Upon being received the data is then segregated based on whether the data is encrypted. The encrypted data is then de-encrypted and interpreted.

Claims

1. A computerized method of transferring encrypted data between and among medical data management systems comprising:

recognizing data to be transmitted by a device;

determining a level of encryption dependent upon the nature of information to be transmitted by the device;

encrypting the data using a first secure key length for sensitive data;

encrypting the data using a second key length for remaining data; and

transmitting the data over a data communications media.

2. The method of

claim 1

further comprising the steps of processing, using a secure key, a checksum of safety-critical data prior to transmitting the safety-critical data, and also comprising the step of transmitting the checksum after the step of transmitting the data over the data communications network.

3. The method of

claim 2

, further comprising the step of authenticating the integrity and source of the safety-critical data using the checksum.

4. The method of

claim 1

wherein the data communications media over which data is transmitted is a data communications network.

5. The method of

claim 4

, wherein the data communications network is a public internetwork.

6. The method of

claim 5

, wherein the public network is the Internet.

23. The method of

claim 1

wherein said data to be transmitted includes one of and a combination of physiological data, cardiac data, neurological data, patient data, therapy data, diagnostic data and device data.

24. The method of

claim 23

wherein said data to be transmitted is transferred based on differentiated encryption scheme.

7. An apparatus for variably encrypting and transferring medical data comprising:

a classifier having means for receiving an input of medical data from a medical device or a data management system, assigning a classification based upon what the medical data represents, and outputting the classified medical data to a segregator;

a segregator having means for separating medical data into discrete data payloads according to the classification assigned the medical information by the classifier and outputting the segregated medical data to an encryptor;

an encryptor having means for variably encrypting segregated medical data based upon the level of security assigned to a particular payload of medical data and transmitting the variably encrypted data over a data communications media.

8. The apparatus of

claim 7

, wherein the means for variably encrypting and transferring of medical data can be implemented on various networks including the Internet and the World Wide Web.

9. The apparatus of

claim 7

, wherein the medical data comprises real-time data from patient monitoring equipment.

10. The apparatus of

claim 9

, wherein the patient monitoring equipment comprises an implantable medical device.

11. The apparatus of

claim 7

, wherein the means for assigning a classification based upon what the medical data represents assigns to real-time data from patient monitoring equipment a classification that will not be encrypted.

12. A network communications system linking an IMD to an information node via a secure medical information exchange network, comprising:

at least one key source in data communication with the IMD interface device and with the information node for transmitting an encryption key to the IMD interface device and a decryption key to the expert-data center;

an encryption engine residing within an IMD interface device for performing data modification information using the encryption key;

data communication means between the IMD interface and the medical information exchange network;

and a decryption engine residing within the information node having means to decrypt the encrypted sensitive information using the decryption key.

13. The network communications system of

claim 12

, wherein the information node is a clinician computer.

14. The network communications system of

claim 12

, wherein the information node is a remote expert system server.

15. The network communication system of

claim 12

, wherein the encryption engine is adapted to recognize non-real time data for encryption.

21. The system of

claim 12

or

16

, wherein the IMD interface is in communication with an IMD implanted in a patient.

16. A network communications system for transmitting IMD instruction information from an information node to an IMD via a secure medical information exchange network, comprising:

at least one key source in data communication with the IMD interface device and with the information node for transmitting a decryption key to the IMD interface device and a encryption key to the information node;

data communication means between the IMD interface and the medical information exchange network;

an encryption engine residing within the information node having means for performing data modification of IMD instruction information; and

a decryption engine residing within an IMD interface device for performing data modification information for performing data integrity confirmation.

17. The network communications system of

claim 16

, wherein the key sources comprise hardware devices having keys hard coded into the IMD and IMD interface pair, and a stored key source residing on the information node, respectively.

18. The network communications system of

claim 16

, wherein data transmitted from the information node comprises native data with an appended data integrity information.

19. The network communications system of

claim 18

, wherein the native data comprises IMD instructions.

20. The network communications system of

claim 18

, wherein the native data comprises IMD software upgrades.

22. A computerized method of securely transferring data between an IMD and a remote information node over a computer network, the method comprising:

generating an encryption key for distribution to an IMD interface device;

generating a decryption key for distribution to the information node;

encrypting the sensitive information, transmitted from the IMD and residing on the IMD interface device, with the encryption key;

transferring the encrypted sensitive information from the IMD interface device to the remote information node, and

decrypting the encrypted information residing on the remote information node with the decryption key.