Blockchain Data Integrity for Cell Operation Instruments
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integrity of data produced by instruments for performing cell operations, such as incubators, centrifuges, and imagers, is often questionable, lacking effective verification methods.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involve generating data from cell operations, associating a unique identifier with the instrument, encrypting the data using a private key, creating a hash for verification, and storing it on a blockchain network, ensuring data integrity through immutability and decentralization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is stored in traditional centralized databases, then data access and modification are easy, but data integrity and authenticity cannot be verified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a blockchain network as an intermediary between the cell operation instrument and the data verification system. The blockchain serves as a decentralized mediator that records and verifies data integrity without requiring a centralized authority, thus improving reliability while distributing system complexity across multiple nodes rather than concentrating it in a single complex verification system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional centralized database management mechanisms with cryptographic mechanisms. Instead of relying on centralized access controls and trust-based systems, the invention uses hash functions, digital signatures, and cryptographic proof to verify data integrity, substituting mechanical/organizational verification systems with mathematical cryptographic systems
2Reliability
If data is encrypted and hashed for verification, then data authenticity is improved, but data access and processing become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs encryption and hashing operations at the source (the cell operation instrument) before data leaves the device. By preliminarily processing the data with cryptographic functions and storing the hash on the blockchain, the system enables straightforward data access and verification later without requiring complex decryption or verification procedures at each access point
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the data verification function into two independent parts: (1) the cell operation instrument that generates and encrypts data with its private key, and (2) the blockchain network that stores and verifies hash values. This segmentation allows data access to remain simple while authenticity verification is handled by the specialized cryptographic segment
3Reliability
If blockchain technology is used for data verification, then data tampering prevention is improved, but storage and computation resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential verification element (the hash value) and stores it on the blockchain, while the actual cell operation data remains stored locally in the instrument's database. This extraction approach provides tampering resistance through blockchain's immutable ledger without requiring the blockchain to store or process the entire dataset, thus reducing storage and computation resource requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies cryptographic hashing to only the critical portions of data that need verification (such as key metadata and results), rather than encrypting and storing every single data point on the blockchain. This partial application of cryptographic verification provides sufficient tampering resistance for critical data while minimizing the computational and storage overhead associated with blockchain operations
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for performing operations on cells in an instrument wherein the performance of operations on cell samples is controlled and data relating to the operations is generated, a unique identifier is associated with the instrument, the generated data is encrypted with a key corresponding to the unique identifier and a hash of one of the generated data and the encrypted generated data is created to enable verification of the integrity thereof. The hash is stored for later verification of data.