Trusted Mobile Confirmation for Secure Infusion Pump Instructions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing infusion pumps are vulnerable to malware and third-party software of unknown provenance, which can lead to incorrect or unauthorized medication delivery instructions, compromising patient safety and security.

Innovation Solution

Implement a trusted execution environment (TEE) on mobile computing devices to provide a secure, user-driven confirmation process for medication delivery instructions, ensuring that instructions are confirmed by a user through a trusted authentication service, and verified using cryptographic signatures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a mobile computing device is used to program the infusion pump or request medication boluses, then the patient can access medication delivery functions remotely, but the device may be vulnerable to malware and third-party software that can compromise the security and legitimacy of medication delivery instructions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremote medication delivery accessVSAvoidsecurity of medication delivery instructions

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A trusted authentication service is introduced as an intermediary between the mobile computing device and the infusion pump. This service verifies the legitimacy of medication delivery instructions through cryptographic authentication, ensuring that only authorized instructions are executed while allowing remote access functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary authentication and verification of medication delivery instructions before they are sent to the infusion pump. The trusted authentication service validates the legitimacy of instructions in advance, preventing malicious or erroneous commands from being executed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If specialized remote communication devices are provided for each infusion pump, then secure communication can be established, but the patient is burdened with carrying additional specialized devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure communicationVSAvoidnumber of devices to carry

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables standard mobile computing devices to perform multiple functions including medication delivery control, authentication, and communication. By making the device universal and multi-functional, specialized remote controllers become unnecessary, reducing the burden on patients while maintaining security through the trusted authentication service

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If the infusion pump has user interfaces for programming and bolus requests, then direct control is available, but public use of these interfaces can result in unwanted attention on the patient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedirect control capabilityVSAvoidunwanted attention in public

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile computing device serves as an intermediary interface between the user and the infusion pump. This allows patients to control their medication delivery remotely through a familiar device, avoiding the need to interact with specialized pump interfaces in public settings while maintaining full control capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Ensures that medication delivery instructions are reliably confirmed by a user, providing assurance to the medication delivery device that the instructions are legitimate and authorized, thereby enhancing patient safety and security.

Implementation Method 1

verified using cryptographic signatures

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCryptographic signatures:

Data Source

PatentUS12562251B1Computing architecture for assuring the provenance of medication therapy related parameters, and related systems, methods and devices

Publication Date: 2026.02.24 BIGFOOT BIOMEDICAL INC

AI summary

A mobile computing device for providing medication therapy recommendations includes a secure execution environment having one or more services executing therein. One service of the one or more services is configured to establish a secure user interaction process at the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device includes a normal execution environment having a medication therapy application executing therein. The medication therapy application is configured to determine at least one medication delivery instruction, request confirmation of the delivery instruction using the secure user interaction process, and provide certified medication delivery instructions to a communications interface configured for communication with a medication delivery unit responsive to a confirmation result. The confirmation result is received, at least in part, responsive to the secure user interaction process.