Nonce-Based Authentication for Networked Respiratory Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing respiratory therapy systems face challenges in securing wireless communications between control devices and respiratory therapy devices, ensuring compliance data integrity, and preventing unauthorized access and tampering, which compromises patient safety and privacy.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that establishes a secure communication channel using a first shared secret obtained via physical access, followed by computing a stronger second shared secret for encryption, and utilizing a nonce-based authentication mechanism to authenticate therapy data uploaded to a remote server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless communication is implemented between control devices and respiratory therapy devices, then ease of operation and remote monitoring capability are improved, but security against unauthorized access and data tampering deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication actions before establishing wireless communication. The control device and respiratory therapy device exchange and verify authentication credentials (device ID, authentication value) in advance, ensuring that only authorized devices can communicate. This preliminary security measure is implemented before any therapy data transmission, preventing unauthorized access while maintaining ease of operation for legitimate users.
2Productivity
If therapy data is transmitted wirelessly to remote servers, then productivity and remote monitoring efficiency are improved, but data integrity and compliance accuracy deteriorate due to potential tampering
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where authentication results and data integrity verification outcomes are continuously monitored and fed back to both the control device and respiratory therapy device. The server verifies authentication credentials before accepting therapy data, and the system provides feedback on whether data transmission was successful and compliant. This closed-loop feedback ensures data accuracy while maintaining high remote monitoring efficiency.
3Reliability
If security measures are added to protect wireless communications, then reliability and patient safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex security processing functions from the respiratory therapy device itself and relocates them to the control device and server. The respiratory therapy device only needs to store and transmit basic authentication credentials (device ID, authentication value), while the control device handles the computationally intensive authentication verification and encryption/decryption operations. This extraction reduces the complexity burden on the medical device while maintaining strong security for patient safety.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus provide communications among respiratory therapy device (“TD”), server and intermediary (e.g., a control device (“CTLD”) for the therapy device) to improve security. More secure communication channel(s) may be established using shared secrets derived with different channels. The communications may include transmitting therapy data from TD to server for authentication. The CTLD may receive the data and a nonce from a server. The CTLD receives from the TD a signing key dependent on the nonce and a secret shared by TD and server. The CTLD generates an authorisation code with received therapy data and the key for authentication of the data by the server upon its receipt of the code and data. The server computes (1) a key from the nonce and the secret known to TD, and (2) another authorisation code from received therapy data and the key. Data authentication may involve comparing received and computed codes.