SMART bioelectronic implants, such as brain implants to control seizures, pacemakers and insulin pumps, offer the potential to revolutionise healthcare, with doctors able to remotely access them to monitor and adjust treatments.
But here's something you've probably never lost any sleep over - until now.
As these devices become more advanced, they also become more vulnerable to hacking, and the consequences could be life-threatening - an insulin overdose, a disrupted heart rhythm, or brain being ordered by a super villain to carry out dastardly deeds, for example.
Thankfully, help is at hand.
Rice University engineer Kaiyuan Yang and his team have developed a first-of-its-kind authentication protocol for wireless, battery-free, ultraminiaturised implants that ensures these devices remain protected while still allowing emergency access.
The protocol takes advantage of what was considered a weakness in the implant's power system - when the implant's external power source moves relative to the implant, the amount of power the implant receives fluctuates.
But by moving the power source in a particular way, the patient (or doctor or caregiver) can send a signal based on the power fluctuations to the implant, creating a secondary authentication factor - a physical confirmation step that cannot be faked remotely.
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