Method and apparatus for locally upgrading implanted reprogrammable medical devices

摘要

A method for enabling a programming device to upload a distributed software upgrade into a reprogrammable device having a unique serial number, the software upgrade having a unique upgrade identifier. The method comprises the steps of calculating a first enabling code as a function of the unique upgrade identifier and the unique serial number and comparing the first enabling code to a second enabling code received from a registry. Also disclosed is an apparatus for changing a heart-stimulating waveform comprising an implanted reprogrammable medical device (IRMD) having a unique serial number, an IRMD software upgrade program having a unique media identifier, and a programming device for uploading the IRMD software upgrade program into the IRMD.