Systems and methods for communicating between medical devices. In on example, a medical device comprises a communication module for communicating with an implantable leadless cardiac pacemaker through body tissue and a controller operatively coupled to the communications module. The controller may be configured to: identify intrinsic heartbeats; provide a blanking period after each occurrence of an intrinsic heartbeat; and communicate with the implantable leadless cardiac pacemaker via the communication module only during times between the blanking periods.

A system and method for communication between an IMD and an external reader includes bringing a portion of a patient's body into contact with a device-body contact surface of an external reader. The reader transmits a first transdermal carrier wave from the contact surface into the patient's body, where the first carrier wave includes a request for communication with the IMD. The transdermal carrier waves are electrical conductive waves, optical waves, or acoustic waves. Upon detection of the first carrier wave, the IMD transmits a second transdermal carrier wave including a request for an access key from the reader and the reader replies by transmitting a third transdermal carrier wave including the access key back to the IMD. If the access key is valid, the IMD transmits information by radio frequency (RF) in an RF communication mode or a fourth transdermal carrier wave including data from the IMD.

In one embodiment, an implantable medical device (IMD) comprises: therapeutic circuitry for controlling delivery of a medical therapy to a patient; a processor for controlling the IMD according to executable code; wireless communication circuitry for conducting wireless communications; and memory for storing data and executable code, wherein the executable comprises code for causing the processor to (1) communicate with an external programming device to define therapeutic settings for operation of the IMD, (2) perform validation operations on one or more instances of therapeutic settings by determining whether a respective instance of therapeutic settings is accompanied by permanent validation data or temporary validation data, wherein the validation operations comprise analyzing temporary validation data against at least one key of a plurality of cryptographic keys stored by the IMD.

A system, method and a network architecture for facilitating remote care therapy via secure communication channels between clinicians and patients having one or more IMDs, wherein certain unique information retrieved from an IMD is used in association with an encryption key infrastructure system for establishing trusted relationships between a clinician device, a patient's device and the patient's IMD. A cloud-based remote care session manager is provided for registering and validating the clinician and patent devices based on the IMD data used as trust indicia. In one embodiment, trusted associations between the devices are only established when the devices in close proximity of each other, e.g., in an in-person setting.

The present invention relates to a system and a method for improving the security of an operation for writing the memory of an active implantable medical device by long distance telemetry, in particular via network connection with a writing main device. The system and method according to the present invention comprise an intermediate proximity device allowing communication between the active implantable medical device and the main writing device and at least one unlocking tool allowing access to the active implantable medical device.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to providing secure gatekeeping of communication from a remote internet-based website having an Internet-Protocol (IP) address to an implantable biomedical device. A gatekeeping device receives the communication transmitted by the remote internet-based website. The communication received is encoded using a first encoding algorithm. The gatekeeping device decodes the communication received. The gatekeeping device then encodes the communication decoded using a second encoding algorithm. The gatekeeping device wirelessly relays the communication encoded using the second encoding algorithm to the implantable biomedical device. In some embodiments, the gatekeeping device compares the IP address of the communication transmitted by the remote internet-based website with a predetermined static IP address corresponding to the implantable biomedical device and rejects the communication transmitted by the remote internet-based website if the IP address is not that of the predetermined static IP address corresponding to the implantable biomedical device.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to facilitating a remote internet-connected device to configure an implantable biomedical device. Such configuration of the implantable biomedical device involves hosting a virtual image of the implantable biomedical device at an IP-addressable internet site associated therewith. This virtual image is updated based on configuration data received from the remote internet-connected device via the internet. configuration data for the implantable biomedical device at the IP-addressable internet site. The safety of such an updated implantable medical device is validated based on the updated virtual image. The configuration data is then transmitted from the IP-addressable internet site via the internet to the implantable biomedical device, in response to the safety of the implantable biomedical device being validated.

Embodiments of communication systems are disclosed for protecting communication between an implanted device ID and an external device ED. Optionally, the ID communicates over the TET channel by modulating a load on the channel. While the ID is communicating the ED optionally adds noise to the TET channel, inhibiting malicious interception of the communication. Using knowledge of the noise signal, the ED cleans the noise from the TET signal to recover the communication from the ID. In some embodiments, the TET link is used to pass an encryption key and/or to verify communications over a radio channel. The TET channel may be authenticated. For example, authentication may include a minimum energy and/or power transfer.

A communication platform at least partially implements secure communications between a medical device and a trusted authority (TA) service provider. The secure communications prevent access to the secure communications by the communication platform while permitting access to the secure communications at the medical device and/or at the trusted authority service provider.

An external device for wireless communication with an implantable medical device can include a memory having stored thereon instructions for a first application and authentication credentials specific to the first application; and a processor configured for transmitting the authentication credentials specific to the first application to an implantable medical device to authorize access to the implantable medical device by the first application. An external device for wireless communication with an implantable medical device can include a memory including authentication credentials stored thereon; and a processor configured for transmitting the authentication credentials to an implantable medical device to authorize access; receiving a request to facilitate authorization of the second device and receiving second authentication credentials from the second device; determining authentication or authorization of the second device; and transmitting a token or authorization credentials directing the implantable medical device to authorize access by the second device.