Systems, devices, and methods for selectively preventing data transfer from a medical device

• US 20040259494A1
• Filed: 06/23/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Mazar, Scott T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,289,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/41 characterized by the control of the jamming activation or deactivation time control of jamming activation and deactivation time only for the purpose of alternating between jamming mode and target monitoring mode H04K3/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/825 by jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/86 related to preventing deceptive jamming or unauthorized interrogation or access, e.g. WLAN access or RFID reading record carriers with integrated circuit chips including means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or to record carriers by hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07318; arrangements for sensing record carriers including arrangements for protecting the interrogation against piracy attacks G06K7/10257

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for the selective prevention of data transfer from a medical device to allow the patient to have privacy when desired. Theses systems and methods provide medical devices that can be instructed in various ways to stop recording data and/or transmitting data to external devices and systems. These systems and methods also provide external repeater devices that can also be instructed in various ways to stop recording data being received, stop forwarding data that is being or has already been received, and/or to stop soliciting data from the medical device. These systems and methods also provide for a blocking device that may be separate from the medical device and repeater to provide instruction to the medical device and/or repeater to prevent data transfer such as by stopping the recording or transmission of data. Further, the blocking device may be alternatively configured to provide a jamming signal to prevent data transmissions from being successfully communicated between the medical device and the repeater.

Claims

1. A method for jamming communications between a medical device and an external device to prevent data transfer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an external input at a blocking device to begin jamming the communications between the medical device and the external device; and

transmitting a jamming signal from the blocking device to jam the communications between the medical device and the external device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the blocking device is a short range jamming transmitter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the jamming signal blankets the frequency range used for the communications.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the short range jamming transmitter is in proximity to the medical device and wherein transmitting a jamming signal from the blocking device to jam the communications comprises preventing the medical device from receiving a solicitation to begin transmitting that is sent by the external device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications occur through a cellular phone system employing control channels and the jamming signal blankets the control channels used for the communications.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input is received in response to manipulating a user interface at the blocking device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indication of jamming, wherein the indication is a visual indication on the blocking device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indication of jamming, wherein the indication is an auditory signal transmitted by the blocking device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of determining whether a predetermined period of time has passed and, if so, then ceasing to transmit the jamming signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications comprise communications related to electively recorded physiological patient data.

11. A method for inhibiting communications between a medical device and an external device to prevent data transfer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an external input to begin inhibiting the communications between the medical device and the external device; and

upon receiving the input, ceasing to establish data transmission of the data generated from the medical device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the input is received at the external device and ceasing data transfer comprises ceasing sending a solicitation for data from the external device to the medical device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the input is received at a blocking device and wherein ceasing data transmission comprises sending a communication from the blocking device to the external device instructing the external device to cease sending a solicitation for data to the medical device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating an indication of inhibited communications, wherein the indication is a visual indication on the blocking device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating an indication of inhibited communications, wherein the indication is an auditory signal transmitted by the blocking device.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of determining whether a predetermined period of time has passed and, if so, then no longer ceasing to establish data transmission from the medical device to the external device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the data transmission comprises communications related to electively recorded physiological patient data.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the input is received at the external device and wherein ceasing to establish data transmission comprises stopping reception of communications from the medical device at the external device.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the input is received at the medical device through a sensor and wherein ceasing to establish data transmission comprises stopping transmitting of communications from the medical device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the input comprises a signal at an accelerometer of the medical device.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the signal received at the accelerometer comprises a series of taps on the patient'"'"'s body.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the input is received at a blocking device and wherein ceasing to establish data transmission comprises transmitting an instruction from the blocking device to the medical device to cease transmission.

34. The method of claim 11, wherein the input is received at a blocking device and wherein ceasing to record the data comprises sending a communication from the blocking device to the external device instructing the external device to stop recording.

23. A method for inhibiting recording of physiological data sensed by a medical device to prevent data transfer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an input to begin inhibiting the recording; and

upon receiving the input, ceasing to record the data that is sensed by the medical device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the input is received at the external device and ceasing to record the data comprises sending a communication from the external device to the medical device instructing the medical device to stop recording.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the input is received at a blocking device and wherein ceasing to record the data comprises sending a communication from the blocking device to the medical device instructing the medical device to stop recording.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising generating an indication of inhibited recording, wherein the indication is a visual indication on the blocking device.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising generating an indication of inhibited recording, wherein the indication is an auditory signal transmitted by the blocking device.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of determining whether a predetermined period of time has passed and, if so, then no longer ceasing to record data

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the recorded data comprises physiological patient data.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the input is received at the external device and wherein ceasing to record the data comprises stopping recording at the external device of the data transmitted from the medical device.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the input is received at the medical device through a sensor and wherein ceasing to record data comprises stopping recording of data at the medical device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the input comprises a signal at an accelerometer of the medical device.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the signal received at the accelerometer comprises a series of taps on the patient'"'"'s body.

35. A method for inhibiting communications involving data generated at a medical device between a local external device and a remote external device to prevent data transfer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a data transmission from the medical device at the local external device;

receiving an external input to begin inhibiting the communications between the local external device and the remote external device; and

upon receiving the input, ceasing to establish data transmission from the local external device to the remote external device.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the input is received at the local external device to stop the local external device from transmitting the data transmission from the medical device to the remote external device.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the input is received at a blocking device and wherein ceasing to establish data transmission comprises sending a signal from the blocking device to the local external device instructing the local external device to not forward the data transmission from the medical device to the remote external device.

38. A medical device, comprising:

a communications system that sends and receives signals;

at least one sensor that detects physiological information about a patient to produce data;

a controller configured to detect an input indicating that data transmission should cease, and to cease transmitting data through the communication system upon detecting the input.

39. The medical device of claim 38, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an accelerometer, and wherein the input is a signal from the accelerometer resulting from taps by a patient wearing the medical device.

40. The medical device of claim 38, further comprising a timer, and wherein the controller detects from the timer the amount of time that data transmission has ceased and restarts data transmission upon the expiration of a pre-defined interval.

41. The medical device of claim 38, wherein the input is a signal received through the communications system.

45. The medical device of claim 39, further comprising a communications system and wherein the input is a signal received through the communications system.

42. A medical device, comprising:

a memory for recording data;

at least one sensor that detects physiological information about a patient to produce data;

a controller configured to detect an input indicating that data recording should cease, and to cease recording data to the memory upon detecting the input.

43. The medical device of claim 42, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an accelerometer, and wherein the input is a signal from the accelerometer resulting from taps by a patient wearing the medical device.

44. The medical device of claim 42, further comprising a timer, and wherein the controller detects from the timer the amount of time that data recording has ceased and restarts data recording upon the expiration of a pre-defined interval.

46. An external repeater device for communicating with a medical device, comprising:

a communications system that sends and receives signals such that patient data is received from the medical device upon a solicitation for data being sent from the communications system;

a controller configured to detect an input indicating that data transmission should cease, and to cease transmitting the solicitation for data through the communications system to the medical device upon detecting the input.

47. An external repeater device for communicating with a medical device, comprising:

a communications system that sends and receives signals such that patient data is received from the medical device;

a memory that stores patient data received from the medical device; and

a controller configured to detect an input indicating that data recording should cease, and to cease recording to the memory the data received from the medical device upon detecting the input.

48. A blocking device for preventing a medical device from transferring data, comprising a transmitter generating a blocking signal that is received by the medical device, and wherein the blocking signal being received at the medical device results in no transfer of data from the medical device.

49. The blocking device of claim 48, wherein the blocking signal is a jamming signal that is generated during a period of time when a solicitation signal is being sent to the medical device, and wherein reception of the jamming signal blocks reception of the solicitation signal by the medical device.