Establishing secure communication between an implantable medical device and an external device

• US 9,237,012 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neuropace Inc.
• Original Assignee: Neuropace Inc.
• Inventors: Andersen, Dean P
• Primary Examiner(s): Pearson, David
• Application Number:
  US14/676,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20150207622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 286 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6868 Brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• 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 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/588 Random number generators, i.e. based on natural stochastic processes
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/24 Key scheduling, i.e. generating round keys or sub-keys for block encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• 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 9/0816 Key establishment, i.e. cryptographic processes or cryptographic protocols whereby a shared secret becomes available to two or more parties, for subsequent use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0869 involving random numbers or seeds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 : Secure pairing of devices

Abstract

Establishing secure communication between an implantable medical device and an external device includes: accessing, at the implantable medical device, biological data; utilizing the biological data, at the implantable medical device, to generate a public cryptographic key; and utilizing the public cryptographic key, at the implantable medical device, to generate a private cryptographic key.

Claims

1. A medical device, comprising:

a converting module configured to convert biometric activity to a digital representation, to compute a metric based on the digital representation of the biometric activity, and to obtain a digital representation of the metric; and

a cryptographic key generator configured to generate a cryptographic key corresponding to a portion of a random number derived directly from the digital representation of the metric.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the cryptographic key is a public cryptographic key, and wherein the cryptographic key generator comprises:

a public cryptographic key generator configured to generate the public cryptographic key utilizing the digital representation.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the cryptographic key is a private cryptographic key, and wherein the cryptographic key generator further comprises:

a private cryptographic key generator configured to generate the private cryptographic key utilizing the public cryptographic key and a predetermined cryptographic key generation protocol.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication subsystem configured to provide a communication interface with a second device.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising:

a decrypting module configured to decrypt a message received from the external device, thereby achieving a decrypted message.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising:

an authentication module configured to determine an authentication status of the second device, based on the decrypted message.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the authentication module comprises:

a comparer configured to;

compare a stored pass-code with the decrypted message;

indicate a positive verification of the authentication status if the decrypted message matches the stored pass-code; and

indicate a negative verification of the authentication status if the decrypted message differs from the stored passcode.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the authentication module is further configured to allow session access to the medical device by the second device if a positive verification is indicated.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the authentication module is further configured to disallow session access to the medical device by the second device if a negative verification is indicated.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to sense the biometric activity.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising:

a data storage configured to store the sensed dynamic biometric activity.

12. A method of communication by a medical device that senses biometric activity, comprising:

converting sensed biometric activity to a digital representation of the biometric activity;

computing a metric based on the digital representation of the biometric activity;

obtaining a digital representation of the metric; and

generating a cryptographic key, wherein the cryptographic key corresponds to a portion of a random number derived directly from the digital representation of the metric.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cryptographic key is a public cryptographic key, and generating comprises generating the public cryptographic key utilizing the digital representation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the cryptographic key is a private cryptographic key, and generating comprises generating the private cryptographic key utilizing the public cryptographic key and a predetermined cryptographic key generation protocol.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a communication interface with a second device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

decrypting a message received from the second device, thereby achieving a decrypted message.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining an authentication status of the second device based on the decrypted message.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining an authentication status comprises:

comparing a stored pass-code with the decrypted message;

indicating a positive verification of the authentication status if the decrypted message matches the stored pass-code; and

indicating a negative verification of the authentication status if the decrypted message differs from the stored passcode.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising allowing session access to the medical device by the second device if a positive verification is indicated.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising disallowing session access to the medical device by the second device if a negative verification is indicated.