Central Ledger Authentication for Medical Device Reuse Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices lack effective authentication and tracking mechanisms to prevent unauthorized use or reprocessing, particularly for single-use or limited-time devices, despite on-board memory systems providing limited safeguards.
Innovation Solution
A centralized ledger system is implemented, where each device is assigned a unique identifier, stored locally and centrally, and authenticated across a network of local systems, with ledgers updated to track usage and prevent unauthorized reuse, utilizing cryptographic hash functions and blockchain structures for enhanced security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If on-board memory is used to track device usage, then device usage tracking is enabled, but the manufacturer has limited ability to prevent unauthorized use or reprocessing
Solution Approach 1:
A centralized ledger system acts as an intermediary between the device and the manufacturer's control system. The ledger stores and verifies device usage information, providing a trusted mechanism that goes beyond simple on-board memory. This intermediary structure enables reliable tracking while giving the manufacturer authoritative control over device authentication and usage permissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where device usage information is recorded in the ledger, verified by local systems, and communicated back to the centralized system. This continuous feedback mechanism allows the manufacturer to monitor device usage in real-time and enforce usage policies, preventing unauthorized use through active verification rather than passive memory storage.
2Reliability
If a centralized ledger system is implemented, then device authentication and tracking capability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized ledger system is segmented into multiple components: a centralized ledger for authoritative record-keeping, local ledgers at each facility for immediate verification, and distributed verification nodes. This segmentation allows the complex authentication function to be distributed across multiple simpler subsystems, each handling a specific aspect of the authentication process.
Solution Approach 2:
The ledger structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as an authentication database, a usage tracking system, a verification mechanism, and a communication protocol. By designing the system to perform multiple functions through a unified ledger architecture, the patent reduces the need for separate complex subsystems for each function.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method of authenticating devices utilizes a central ledger distributed to a plurality of local systems includes storing a unique identifier locally on each device, modifying a central ledger to include an entry associated with the unique identifier and communicating the central ledger to a plurality of local systems for storage. To authorize a device, the local system receives a unique identifier from a connected device and searches the local ledger to verify/authenticate the validity of the connected device for use in the local system. The local system may then modify an entry in the local ledger associated with the unique identifier to reflect use and communicate the modified local ledger from each of the plurality of local systems to the centralized system. The central system then modifies the central ledger based on the received local ledger and communicates the modified central ledger to a local system.