Patent ID: 8103811

Claim:
An upgradable medical system adapted to perform a plurality of functions, comprising a first memory for storing a number of programmable functions, each of said functions adapted to be enabled and disabled, a second memory for storing enable/disable flags that indicate the operational status of the programs stored in said first memory, a memory card that when electrically mated to said system changes the functionality of said system by selectively activating the flag in said second memory for at least one particular function with a code directed to said particular function when said system powers up and said memory card mated to said system so that said at least one particular function is retrieved from said first memory and stored in a third memory for operation, the at least one particular function could also be disabled if enabled by said memory card by the deactivation of the flag in said second memory for said at least one particular function, said memory card recording the functions enabled/disabled in said system and the serial number of said system, information stored in said memory card including the functions enabled/disabled in said system may be downloaded from said memory card by the manufacturer of said system.