Medical Device Access Using Encrypted Local Password Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for controlling user access to medical devices are inadequate, particularly in scenarios where password management is cumbersome and prone to unauthorized access, especially when multiple devices are involved.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an encryption and decryption process using a key pair, where the medical device generates an encrypted password, which is decrypted by a separate decryption device before granting access, ensuring only authorized users can access the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a password specific to the device type from a central password database is used, then the medical device is protected from unauthorized users, but the password management becomes cumbersome and prone to theft when multiple devices are involved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the password management system into segments: each medical device generates its own unique password locally rather than relying on a central database. This segmentation eliminates the single point of failure (central database) and distributes password management across individual devices, reducing the complexity of centralized management while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an encrypted password as an intermediary between the medical device and the user. Instead of directly using plaintext passwords from a central database, the system encrypts passwords on the device itself, creating an intermediate encrypted form that must be decrypted by authorized users. This intermediary layer enhances security without requiring complex centralized management.
2Reliability
If a central password database is used for multiple medical devices, then access control is centralized, but the risk of password theft increases when multiple devices are involved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the password generation and storage function from the central database and relocates it to individual medical devices. Each device now generates and stores its own password locally, removing passwords from the centralized repository that would be vulnerable to theft. This extraction eliminates the target for password theft attacks while maintaining access control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary encryption of passwords on the medical device before any transmission or external access attempts. By encrypting the password locally in advance, the system ensures that even if external devices attempt to intercept or steal credentials, they only obtain encrypted data that cannot be used without the decryption key, thus preventing password theft in advance.
3Reliability
If password encryption and external decryption is implemented, then the risk of unintended accesses is reduced, but the access process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The medical device performs self-service encryption of its own password using its local processor and memory resources. This eliminates the need for external encryption services or complex key management infrastructure, as each device independently encrypts its password. The self-service approach enhances security while minimizing the operational complexity by leveraging existing device capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for granting user access to a medical device via a user device comprises the following steps, which are carried out by a processor of the medical device: generating an encrypted password by encrypting a password to be encrypted; sending the encrypted password to the user device in order to allow decryption of the encrypted password; receiving an access request which is sent by the user device) in order to request the user access, the access request comprising a decrypted password; verifying whether the decrypted password matches the password to be encrypted; if the decrypted password matches the password to be encrypted: granting the user access.