Immutable Electronic Health Record Storage Without Mining

The patent extracts the essential function of immutable storage from the resource-intensive mining process. By separating the data storage function from the consensus mechanism, the system achieves immutability through cryptographic hashing and distributed ledger technology without requiring energy-consuming mining operations. The core immutability function is extracted and implemented through deterministic block chaining with cryptographic proofs.

The patent replaces expensive, resource-intensive mining operations with cheaper alternative mechanisms. Instead of using computational power to secure the network, the system uses cryptographic signatures, distributed validation, and economic incentives that are less resource-consuming. The consensus is achieved through lighter-weight mechanisms that maintain security without the high energy costs of proof-of-work mining.

The patent applies preliminary action by creating an immutable copy of the data state before any update operation occurs. The system captures the pre-update state, creates a cryptographic hash of it, and stores this hash in the blockchain before the update is applied. This preliminary capture of the original state enables both easy updates and complete historical tracking, as each update creates a new chain of cryptographic proofs.

The patent uses copying to maintain immutability while allowing updates. Instead of modifying existing records in place, the system creates copies of data states and chains them cryptographically. Each update generates a new copy with a reference to the previous state through hashing, creating an immutable audit trail while allowing the current state to be easily updated. This copying mechanism preserves historical information without restricting operational flexibility.

The patent merges the data storage function with the audit trail function into a single immutable structure. Instead of maintaining separate databases for data and separate logs for operations, the system combines them into a unified blockchain where each block contains both the data state and cryptographic proof of the operation that produced it. This merging ensures that the operation history is as immutable as the data itself, providing true data recovery capability with guaranteed immutability.

The patent creates a composite data structure that combines mutable application data with immutable cryptographic proofs. The blockchain records contain a composite of the current data state, the operation that produced it, and cryptographic hashes linking to previous states. This composite structure ensures that both the data and its operational history share the same immutability properties, making tampering with either equally difficult and providing robust data recovery capability.