Patent ID: 7270633

Claim:
A method for providing automated patient care using an ambulatory repeater apparatus, comprising: communicatively interfacing an implantable medical device to at least one sensor; storing patient information that comprises physiological measures measured on an ad hoc basis and sensitive information preencrypted prior to implant under a cryptographic key uniquely assigned to the implantable medical device; and providing an ambulatory repeater, comprising: securely obtaining for the ambulatory repeater the cryptographic key; authenticating authorization by an external data processing device to access the patient information stored on the implantable medical device via the ambulatory repeater; interfacing the ambulatory repeater to the implantable medical device through wireless telemetry; interfacing the ambulatory repeater to the external data processing device through wireless communications; decrypting the sensitive information using the cryptographic key on the ambulatory repeater; exchanging the patient information with the implantable medical device and the external data processing device via the ambulatory repeater.