Methods, systems, and devices for authorizing performance of a medical task by an implantable medical device

A medical device comprising:

• a communication circuit that receives external signals;
• a medical circuit that performs a medical task during a session;
• a storage element that contains a plurality of session tokens;
• a processor in communication with the communication circuit to receive a request for a session, the processor being in communication with the medical circuit to activate and deactivate a session, the processor being in communication with the storage element to access the session tokens, wherein the processor maintains a pointer directed to one of the session tokens of the plurality and activates the session in response to the request upon detecting that the session token at a current position of the pointer authorizes the session.

A method of performing a medical task during a session, comprising:

• receiving a request for the session;
• detecting whether the requested session is authorized by determining whether a session token of a plurality of session tokens stored within an implantable medical device authorizes the session where at least one of the session tokens of the plurality does not authorize the session;
• and
• upon detecting that the requested session is authorized, then at the implantable medical device activating the session to perform the medical task.

A method of providing a medical task, comprising:

• selling an implantable medical device that performs the medical task at a price less than a price that is charged when the implantable medical device is sold with unrestricted performances of the medical task;
• subsequently charging a fee to authorize an amount of performance of the medical task by the implantable device;
• upon charging the fee, sending session tokens to authorize the implantable medical device to perform the medical task;
• and
• detecting at the implantable medical device whether a requested session of performing the medical task is authorized by determining whether a session token of a plurality of session tokens stored within an implantable medical device authorizes the session where at least one of the session tokens of the plurality does not authorize the session, a session token authorizing the session upon the implantable medical device receiving a session token that matches the stored session token.

A method of providing a medical task, comprising:

• selling to a patient an implantable medical device that performs the medical task at a price less than a price that is charged when the implantable medical device is sold with unrestricted performances of the medical task, the implantable medical device having a power receiving circuit;
• selling to the patient a first external power transmission device that has a power transmission circuit to provide power to the implantable medical device, the first external power transmission device having a pre-defined amount of power transmission, the pre-defined amount of power transmission being less than an amount of power transmission needed by the implantable device for a device lifetime;
• and
• subsequent to selling the first external power transmission device, selling to the patient a second external power transmission device that has a power transmission circuit to provide power to the implantable medical device, the second external power transmission device having a pre-defined amount of power transmission, the pre-defined amount of power transmission being less than an amount of power transmission needed by the implantable device for a device lifetime.