System and method for providing authentication of remotely collected external sensor measures

• US 20070180047A1
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Dong, Yanting, Ni, Quan, Hoyme, Kenneth, Carpenter, Todd
• Application Number:
  US11/301,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20070180047A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1171 based on the shapes or appearances of their bodies or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system and method for providing authentication of remotely collected external sensor measures is presented. Physiological measures are collected from a source situated remotely from a repository for accumulating such collected physiological measures. An identification of the source from which the physiological measures were collected is determined against authentication data that uniquely identifies a specific patient. The physiological measures are forwarded to the repository upon authenticating the patient identification as originating from the specific patient.

Claims

1. A system for providing authentication of remotely collected external sensor measures, comprising:

a collection module to collect physiological measures from a source situated remotely from a repository for accumulating such collected physiological measures;

an identification module to determine an identification of the source from which the physiological measures were collected against authentication data that uniquely identifies a specific patient; and

a staging module to forward the physiological measures to the repository upon authenticating the patient identification as originating from the specific patient.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the collection module comprises at least one of a discrete external sensor, an external sensor operatively coupled to a patient management device, and a patient management device passively receiving the physiological measures.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the external sensor comprises at least one of a weight scale, blood pressure cuff, glucometer, thermometer, and spirometer.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the patient identification is passively determined through use of at least one of an implantable medical device and radio frequency identification tag, which each comprise authentication data.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the patient identification is actively determined through use of at least one of a biometric identifier, token identifier, and code entry identifier, which each provide credentials for comparison to the authentication data.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the staging module comprise at least one of an external sensor, patient management device, and implantable medical device.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an external sensor on which to implement the authentication data;

a store to hold the physiological measures on the external sensor until the patient identification is confirmed, wherein the physiological measures are provided to a patient management device upon confirmation.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a patient management device on which to implement the authentication data;

an external sensor to provide the physiological measures to the patient management device; and

a store to hold the physiological measures on the patient management device until the patient identification is confirmed.

9. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an external sensor to provide the physiological measures to a patient management device;

a communications module to confirm proximity of an implantable medical device to the patient management device; and

a store to hold the physiological measures on the patient management device until the implantable medical device proximity is confirmed.

10. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communications module to confirm communication between an implantable medical device and an external sensor, wherein the physiological measures are provided to a patient management device upon confirmation.

11. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communications module to confirm communication between an implantable medical device and an external sensor, wherein the physiological measures are provided to the implantable medical device upon confirmation.

12. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

patient data included with the forwarded physiological measures comprising at least one of psychological, drug dosing, medical therapy, insurance-related, digital imagery or sound, and patient-provided or -uploaded information.

13. A method for providing authentication of remotely collected external sensor measures, comprising:

collecting physiological measures from a source situated remotely from a repository for accumulating such collected physiological measures;

determining an identification of the source from which the physiological measures were collected against authentication data that uniquely identifies a specific patient; and

forwarding the physiological measures to the repository upon authenticating the patient identification as originating from the specific patient.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

collecting the physiological measures using at least one of a discrete external sensor, an external sensor operatively coupled to a patient management device, and a patient management device passively receiving the physiological measures.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the external sensor comprises at least one of a weight scale, blood pressure cuff, glucometer, thermometer, and spirometer.

16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

passively determining the patient identification through use of at least one of an implantable medical device and radio frequency identification tag, which each comprise authentication data.

17. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

actively determining the patient identification through use of at least one of a biometric identifier, token identifier, and code entry identifier, which each provide credentials for comparison to the authentication data.

18. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

forwarding the physiological measures from at least one of an external sensor, patient management device, and implantable medical device.

19. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

implementing the authentication data on an external sensor;

holding the physiological measures on the external sensor until the patient identification is confirmed; and

providing the physiological measures to a patient management device upon confirmation.

20. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

implementing the authentication data on a patient management device;

providing the physiological measures to the patient management device from an external sensor; and

holding the physiological measures on the patient management device until the patient identification is confirmed.

21. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

providing the physiological measures to a patient management device from an external sensor;

confirming proximity of an implantable medical device to the patient management device; and

holding the physiological measures on the patient management device until the implantable medical device proximity is confirmed.

22. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

confirming communication between an implantable medical device and an external sensor; and

providing the physiological measures to a patient management device upon confirmation.

23. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

confirming communication between an implantable medical device and an external sensor; and

providing the physiological measures to the implantable medical device upon confirmation.

24. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

including patient data with the forwarded physiological measures comprising at least one of psychological, drug dosing, medical therapy, insurance-related, digital imagery or sound, and patient-provided or -uploaded information.

25. A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to claim 13.

26. An apparatus for providing authentication of remotely collected external sensor measures, comprising:

means for collecting physiological measures from a source situated remotely from a repository for accumulating such collected physiological measures;

means for determining an identification of the source from which the physiological measures were collected against authentication data that uniquely identifies a specific patient; and

means for forwarding the physiological measures to the repository upon authenticating the patient identification as originating from the specific patient.