Design of an RFID-Based Wireless Programmable Smart-Shield for Implantable Medical Devices

In recent years, Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs) have evolved significantly with the integration of wireless connectivity, facilitating rapid and efficient diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. However, this connectivity introduces inherent vulnerabilities, exposing IMDs to various cyber and physical threats that pose significant risks to patient safety. In this paper, we propose an epidermal RFID-based wireless programmable smart-shield as a protection mechanism against physical attacks on Implantable Cardiac Devices (ICDs). The device is conceived to be placed on the patient's skin, possibly aligned with the ICD, to shield the implanted device from all the untrusted incoming electromagnetic fields in the 401–406 MHz band and to be wirelessly reconfigured at 900 MHz to enable communication with an external trusted programmer in case medical assistance is required (e.g., for diagnostic purposes). The smart shield is hence conceived as a programmable Frequency Selective Surface (FSS). Preliminary simulations of the grid unit cell, equipped with an RFID IC and PIN diodes for wireless reconfiguration purposes, demonstrate the feasibility of the idea.