System and method for securely authenticating a data exchange session with an implantable medical device

• US 7,831,828 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2004
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• 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: Healy, Scott J., Von Arx, Jeffrey A., Vanderlinde, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kaplan; Benjamin A
• Application Number:
  US10/800,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20050204134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,430 Days
• Field of Search: 713168-175, 607/31, 607/60
• US Class Current: 713/169
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• 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: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/88 Medical equipments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853

Abstract

A system and method for securely authenticating a data exchange session with an implantable medical device is presented. A crypto key uniquely associated with an implantable medical device is defined to authenticate data during a data exchange session. A secure connection is established from an external source with a secure key repository securely maintaining the crypto key. Authorization to access data on the implantable medical device is authenticated by securely retrieving the crypto key from the secure key repository.

Claims

1. An apparatus for securely authenticating a data exchange session with an implantable medical device, comprising:

an external device comprising a key generator configured to dynamically generate a crypto key for each data exchange session with an implantable medical device;

the external device configured to establish an inductive telemetric link to the implantable medical device and to download the crypto key to the implantable medical device through the inductive telemetric link for each data exchange session;

the external device configured to then transact the data exchange session with the implantable medical device through a long range telemetric link authenticated with the crypto key.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an authentication component configured to employ the crypto key during the data exchange session, comprising at least one of;

a command authenticator configured to authenticate commands exchanged through the external device with the implantable medical device and;

a data integrity checker configured to check the integrity of the data received by and transmitted from the external device; and

a data encrypter configured to encrypt the data received by and transmitted from the external device.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external device comprises a programmer.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the crypto key is provided from the programmer to a repeater.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external device comprises a patient designator.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the crypto key comprises at least one of a 128-bit crypto key and a symmetric crypto key.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device comprises at least one of an implantable cardiac device, neural stimulation device, and drug therapy dispensing device.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device maintains patient health information in an encrypted form.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device maintains patient health information in an unencrypted form and is accessible in the unencrypted form exclusively through a short range telemetric connection.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the long range interface is augmented using one or more repeaters.