Secure software updates and architectures

• Main Authors: Duke, Steven Barry, Rutzer, Mark, Killebrew, Mark G, Stewart, David B, Bales, Robert, Padmanabha, Seshadri K, Beuning, Dale R, Skelton, Dennis M, Wootten, James, Mackie, Richard, Frolov, Alexander
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.09.2024
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONTECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING ORPROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA; INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTEDFOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS; PHYSICS

Systems and techniques to ensure reliable operation of devices, such as medical devices, that are configured to execute installed software are described. A secure software update process for the device utilizes multiple integrity checks in order to prove that software integrity has not been compromised before the device is allowed to be put into service with the software installed thereon. Also described is a computer architecture for an external defibrillator that isolates the execution of installed software applications by separately compiling the code for those applications and by executing the separately-compiled applications on different processors of the defibrillator. Among other things, this allows the defibrillator to be "brought online" faster, such as to deliver a shock to a patient.