Cryptographic authentication for telemetry with an implantable medical device

• US 7,818,067 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Von Arx, Jeffrey A., Quiles, Sylvia, Healy, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Manuel; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wieland; Robert N
• Application Number:
  US11/738,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20070282398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176, 726 5- 7, 705/64, 705/51, 705/2, 607/60, 607/31, 607/32, 463/29, 380/241
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• 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: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/88 Medical equipments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

Integrity of a wirelessly telemetered message communicated between an implantable medical device and an external programmer is authenticated by encoding the message. The message is encrypted based on a random number or time stamp and a secret key. The message is authenticated by encryption and decryption or by executing a hash function.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an implantable device including;

a first far field transceiver;

a first processor coupled to the first far field transceiver; and

a first memory coupled to the first processor; and

an electrical circuit coupled to the processor; and

an external device including;

a second far field transceiver;

a second processor coupled to the second far field transceiver;

a second memory coupled to the second processor; and

a data port coupled to the processor; and

wherein at least one of any combination of the first processor and second processor is adapted to execute instructions to implement an encryption algorithm configured to generate a ciphertext for communication between the implantable device and the external device based on a code generated by the first processor, a key stored in the first memory and the second memory, and a message; and

wherein at least one of any combination of the first processor and second processor is adapted to execute instructions to implement a decryption algorithm configured to decrypt the message from the ciphertext based on the code and the key.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the implantable device includes an inductive telemetry coil coupled to the processor and adapted to communicate the key.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the external device includes an inductive telemetry coil coupled to the processor and adapted to communicate the key.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the electrical circuit includes a therapy circuit.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the electrical circuit includes a monitoring circuit.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data port includes at least one of any combination of a keyboard, a mouse, a controller, a data storage device, a network connection, a modem and a data bus.

7. A method comprising:

receiving a code from a first device;

storing a key in the first device and in a second device, wherein at least one of the first device and the second device is implantable;

generating a ciphertext at the second device, the ciphertext generated as a function of the code, the key and a message;

receiving the ciphertext at the first device;

decrypting the ciphertext at the first device to receive the message, the message decrypted as a function of the code and the key; and

authenticating the message at the first device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving the code includes receiving a random number.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving the code includes receiving a time stamp.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein authenticating the message includes checking an identification code included in the message.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein checking the identification code includes comparing the identification code and a stored value.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein authenticating the message includes checking an error detection code included in the message.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein checking the error detection code includes:

generating a calculated value as a function of the message; and

comparing the calculated value and the error detection code.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein checking the error detection code includes checking a cyclic redundancy code.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein storing the key includes generating a key.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein generating the key includes calculating a key as a function of stored data in the first device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein calculating the key as a function of stored data includes accessing a memory having stored data based on at least one of any combination of a device serial number, a date of manufacture, a time of manufacture, a device model number and a measured characteristic of the device.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein calculating the key includes executing a hashing algorithm.

19. The method of claim 7 wherein storing the key in the first device includes communicating via an inductive coupling.

20. The method of claim 7 wherein storing the key in the second device includes communicating via an inductive coupling.

21. The method of claim 7 wherein storing the key includes encrypting the key.

22. The method of claim 7 wherein generating the first ciphertext includes executing an algorithm selected from at least one of any combination of Data Encryption Standard (DES), Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA), Blowfish and CAST.