Blockchain managed medical implants

Abstract

Systems and methods for tracking patient medical records using a medical implant are described herein. The medical implant can comprise a physical structure configured to secure the medical implant within a body of a patient, a proximity communication component physically coupled to the physical structure, and a memory operatively coupled to the proximity communication component. The memory can store a private key, wherein the memory is configured to provide the private key through the proximity communication component to an external device for enabling the external device to access one or more electronic medical records associated with a patient that is implanted with the implant from a distributed blockchain ledger of electronic medical records.

1 . A method for managing patient medical records, the method comprising:
 generating a request for a private key associated with a patient, the request including a request for patient authorization to access the private key;   receiving patient authorization to access the private key;   establishing communicative contact with a blockchain-enabled medical implant that is implanted in a body of the patient, the communicative contact being established using a proximity communication mode;   based on the patient authorization, accessing the private key stored on the blockchain-enabled medical implant;   accessing one or more electronic medical records associated with the patient from a distributed ledger of electronic medical records using the received private key, wherein
 the distributed ledger represents a private blockchain ledger or a public blockchain ledger storing the one or more electronic medical records as private transactions, and 
 each electronic medical record is stored as a hashed transaction in the distributed ledger of electronic medical records, and 
 the private key associated with the patient is used to access details of hashed transactions associated with the patient; and 
   displaying the one or more electronic medical records associated with the patient.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the patient provides patient authorization to access the private key using a confirmation mechanism, wherein the confirmation mechanism is a voice confirmation, entering a password into a software application, entering a password into a web application, entering a password into a mobile application, or providing an e-signature to a physician. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity communication mode is a radio frequency communication mode. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein accessing the private key includes:
 receiving encoded data from the blockchain-enabled medical implant according to the radio frequency communication mode; and   deriving the private key based on decrypting the encoded data using the patient authorization or a portion thereof.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the distributed ledger of electronic medical records is stored in the memory of the blockchain-enabled medical implant. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the communicative contact with the blockchain-enabled medical implant is established through an intermediary device that is on or implanted in the body of the patient and communicatively coupled to the blockchain-enabled medical implant; and   the private key is accessed through the intermediary device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more accessed electronic medical records corresponds to an access permission setting previously provided by the patient for the access. 
     
     
         8 . A method for managing an electronic medical record for a patient, the method comprising:
 receiving patient treatment information associated with a patient, the patient treatment information including information associated with patient diagnosis and treatment;   generating an electronic medical record, the electronic medical record including details associated with the received patient treatment information and a unique patient identifier;   generating a blockchain transaction based on the electronic medical record, a public key and a private key, wherein
 the public key and the private key are a matching pair directly associated with the unique patient identifier, 
 the private key configured for accessing the details of the blockchain transaction, and 
 the private key is stored on a blockchain-enabled medical implant that is implanted in a body of the patient; and 
   adding the blockchain transaction to a distributed ledger of transactions associated with the patient, wherein the block chain transaction is added to a private ledger or as a private transaction to a public ledger.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the patient treatment information includes patient data, one or more medical images associated with the patient, one or more scans associated with the patient, demographic information about the patient, identifying information of the patient, historical patient treatment data, metrics, patient treatment plans, data providing pathology-related information of the patient, provider, patient feedback data, vital signs, diagnostic results, patient family history of illnesses or medical problems, and/or prescription drug history of the patient. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic medical record further includes information associated with the physician delivering treatment to the patient and/or information associated with the facility delivering treatment to the patient. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the distributed ledger of transactions is the private ledger of transactions associated with the patient, and wherein the private key associated with the patient is required to access the distributed ledger of transactions. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the distributed ledger of transactions is stored in the memory of the blockchain-enabled medical implant. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the distributed ledger of transactions is the public ledger of transactions, and wherein the private key associated with the patient is used to access transactions associated with the patient stored on the public ledger of transactions. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic medical record further includes one or more permissions defining one or more portions of the medical record can be accessed by a particular user. 
     
     
         15 - 21 . (canceled)