A private Ethereum blockchain implementation for secure data handling in Internet of Medical Things

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is set to create a revolutionary shift in healthcare by transforming traditional methods of disease diagnosis to a data-centered, technology-driven analysis. However, data security and privacy issues are significant hurdles that need to be addressed. Blockchain technology has radically transformed data storage mechanisms using decentralization and cryptographic principles, making it a better choice for sensitive medical data than cloud storage services. A majority of the existing research focus on implementing blockchain in IoT devices which have much higher processing capabilities than IoMT devices such as pacemakers. Most of the existing blockchain frameworks are unsuitable for miniature IoMT devices due to high computational and storage requirements. This work aims to overcome this challenge by proposing a private blockchain framework in which different stakeholders of a medical system such as patients, doctors, IoMT devices, etc. act as nodes, creating a decentralized network in which physiological data output by IoMT devices can be stored securely and tamper-free forever. The proposed design is implemented in a Raspberry Pi network, using Proof of Authority (PoA) consensus mechanism which has minimal computational requirements. Data confidentiality is ensured using a double-encryption mechanism by means of Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme. It is observed to perform well in comparison with existing approaches with a transaction speed of a minimum of 25 transactions per second and is easily scalable to accommodate different personnel of the healthcare sector. Further development on this design could potentially result in a major innovation in the IoMT industry in the form of a new array of real-time health monitoring devices with high security and data privacy. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.