Wireless patient communicator employing security information management

Abstract

A patient communicator for communicating with a patient implantable medical device (PIMD) and facilitating communications with a remote server via a wireless network. The communicator has a housing configured for portability, and an identity module to store subscriber identification data. A processor is coupled to the identity module and is configured to prevent data exchange with the PIMD unless the identity module is authorized for use. Memory coupled to the processor stores wireless radio firmware and medical firmware. A first radio is configured to effect communications with the PIMD in accordance with execution of the medical firmware by the processor. A second radio is configured to effect communications via a channel of the wireless network with a remote server in accordance with execution of the wireless radio firmware by the processor. The processor is generally configured to use subscriber identification data to facilitate authentication by and of the remote server.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A patient communicator for communicating with a patient implantable medical device (PIMD) and facilitating communications with a remote server via a wireless network, the patient communicator comprising:
 a housing configured for portability by an ambulatory patient;   an identity module disposed in the housing and configured to store subscriber identification data;   a processor disposed in the housing and coupled to the identity module, wherein the processor is configured to prevent data exchange with the PIMD unless the identity module is authorized for use;   memory disposed in the housing and coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises wireless radio firmware and medical firmware, wherein the medical firmware is executable by the processor to facilitate communication with the PIMD,   a first radio disposed in the housing and configured to effect communications with the PIMD in accordance with execution of the medical firmware by the processor;   a second radio disposed in the housing and configured to effect communications via a channel of the wireless network with a remote server in accordance with execution of the wireless radio firmware by the processor; and   the processor configured to use at least the subscriber identification data to facilitate authentication by the remote server and facilitate authentication of the remote server.   
     
     
         2 . The communicator of  claim 1 , wherein the identity module is removably disposed in the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The communicator of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to pair with the PIMD using the identity module. 
     
     
         4 . The communicator of  claim 1 , wherein the subscriber identification data uniquely identifies the patient, and the subscriber identification data comprises physiologic data obtained from the patient. 
     
     
         5 . The communicator of  claim 4 , wherein the physiologic data is obtained from the patient during an initial pairing of the patient communicator and the PIMD. 
     
     
         6 . The communicator of  claim 1 , wherein the subscriber identification data comprises PIMD programmer data. 
     
     
         7 . The communicator of  claim 1 , wherein the subscriber identification data stored in the identity module comprises decoder logic for facilitating communication with the PIMD. 
     
     
         8 . The communicator of  claim 1 , wherein configuration data is stored in the identity module, the configuration data comprising configuration parameters that are selectably enabled by the processor to enable selected functions. 
     
     
         9 . The communicator of  claim 1 , the identity module further comprising software code executable by the processor for initialization and reset processes. 
     
     
         10 . The communicator of  claim 3 , wherein the processor uses the subscriber identification data to facilitate data exchange only with the PIMD to which the identity module is paired. 
     
     
         11 . A patient communicator for communicating with a patient implantable medical device (PIMD) and facilitating communications with a remote server via a wireless network, the patient communicator comprising:
 a housing configured for portability by an ambulatory patient;   an identity module detachably disposed in the housing and configured to store at least identity data that uniquely identifies the patient communicator as being associated with the patient, wherein the identity data comprises physiologic data obtained from the patient;   a processor coupled to the identity module, wherein the processor is configured to pair with the PIMD using the identity module and allow data exchange with the PIMD if the identity module is authorized for use;   memory disposed in the housing, wherein the memory comprises wireless radio firmware executable by the processor and medical firmware executable by the processor,   a first radio disposed in the housing and configured to effect communications with the PIMD in accordance with execution of the medical firmware by the processor;   a second radio disposed in the housing and configured to effect communications with a remote server via a wireless network in accordance with execution of the wireless radio firmware by the processor; and   the processor configured to use at least the identity data stored in the identity module and execute program instructions for (a) facilitating authentication by the remote server prior to permitting access to the remote server and (b) facilitating authentication of the remote server prior to permitting access by the remote server.   
     
     
         12 . The communicator of  claim 11 , wherein the identity data stored in the identity module comprises an authentication key configured for authentication by the processor. 
     
     
         13 . The communicator of  claim 11 , wherein the physiologic data is obtained from the patient after pairing with the PIMD. 
     
     
         14 . The communicator of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit at least some of the identity data and PIMD data to the remote server, wherein the at least some of the identity data is configured to update patient data on the remote server. 
     
     
         15 . The communicator of  claim 11 , the identity module further comprising a carrier feature to facilitate grasping by the patient. 
     
     
         16 . The communicator of  claim 11 , wherein the identity module is embodied in a semiconductor chip. 
     
     
         17 . The communicator of  claim 11 , wherein the identity data is mappable to a second identity module of a second patient communicator by the remote server. 
     
     
         18 . The communicator of  claim 11 , wherein activation of wireless network services for effecting patient communicator communications is based on detection of a wireless network connection by the processor using the identity data. 
     
     
         19 . A method for effecting communications between a patient communicator and a patient implantable medical device (PIMD) and for facilitating communications between the patient communicator and a remote server via a wireless network, the method comprising:
 identifying a paired PIMD by a processor using physiologic data obtained from the patient, wherein the physiologic data is stored in an identity module of the patient communicator;   preventing data exchange between a patient communicator and the PIMD unless the identity module of the patient communicator is designated for use only with the patient communicator;   effecting communications between the PIMD and a first radio of the patient communicator in accordance with execution of the medical firmware by the processor;   effecting communications between a second radio of the patient communicator and a remote server via a wireless network in accordance with execution of the wireless radio firmware by the processor;   providing identity data stored in the identity module to the remote server for authentication by the remote server prior to accessing the remote server;   authenticating the remote server using the identity data stored in the identity module prior to permitting access by the remote server; and   exchanging at least PIMD data between the patient communicator and the remote server in response to successful authentication.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , comprising exchanging at least the PIMD data between the patient communicator and the remote server via a channel of the wireless network other than a voice channel.