What is claimed is:
1. A medical system, comprising:
a catheter comprising a catheter distal end;
an elongated sheath comprising an open sheath distal end, an internal lumen, and one or more fluid exit ports located on said sheath distal end, wherein said internal lumen is configured to house said catheter, and said one or more fluid exit ports are configured to perfuse fluid in a substantially distal direction over said catheter distal end when said catheter distal end protrudes from said open sheath distal end.
2. The medical system of claim 1, wherein said one or more fluid exit ports comprises an annular aperture in fluid communication with said internal lumen, said annular aperture being formed between an outer surface of said catheter distal end and a distal tip of said internal lumen when said catheter distal end protrudes from said open sheath distal end.
3. The medical system of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of said sheath distal end comprises one or more skives in fluid communication with said internal lumen, and said one or more fluid exit ports are in fluid communication with said one or more skives.
4. The medical system of claim 3, wherein said inner surface of said sheath distal end substantially forms a seal with an outer surface of said catheter distal end.
5. The medical system of claim 1, wherein said one or more fluid exit ports are located on an outer surface of said sheath distal end and extend through a wall of said sheath distal end in fluid communication with said internal lumen, and are disposed at a distally facing oblique angle to a longitudinal axis of said sheath distal end.
6. The medical system of claim 1, wherein a wall of said sheath distal end comprises one or more axially disposed fluid lumens, and said one or more fluid exit ports are located on a distally facing edge of said sheath distal end in fluid communication with said one or more fluid lumens.
7. The medical system of claim 6, wherein said one or more axially disposed fluid lumens are in fluid communication with said internal lumen.
8. The medical system of claim 1, wherein said one or more fluid exit ports comprise a plurality of fluid exit ports.
9. The medical system of claim 1, wherein said catheter is an ablation catheter having a distally mounted ablation electrode.
10. The medical system of claim 1, further comprising a catheter locking mechanism configured for axially fixing said catheter relative to said sheath.
11. The medical system of claim 1, wherein said catheter locking mechanism comprises an annular ridge located on one of said catheter and said sheath, and an annular indentation located on the other of said catheter and said sheath, said annular ridge and said annular indentation configured for engaging each other when said catheter is advanced through said internal lumen of said sheath.
12. The medical system of claim 1, further comprising an irrigation fluid system in fluid communication with said one or more exit ports.
13. The medical system of claim 12, wherein said irrigation fluid system comprises a source of irrigation fluid and a pump for conveying said irrigation fluid under pressure to said one or more fluid exit ports.
14. The medical system of claim 13, wherein said irrigation fluid system comprises a source of another fluid that can be conveyed under pressure to said one or more fluid exit ports.
15. The medical system of claim 1, wherein a proximal end of said sheath comprises a hemostasis valve.
16. The medical system of claim 1, wherein said sheath distal end is steerable.
17. A medical guide sheath, comprising:
an elongated sheath body having an open distal end;
an internal lumen formed within said sheath body and being configured for housing a catheter; and
one or more fluid exit ports located on said open distal end and being configured for perfusing fluid in a substantially distal direction over a distal end of said catheter when said catheter distal end protrudes from said open distal end.
18. The medical guide sheath of claim 17, wherein said open distal end is configured, such that said one or more fluid exit ports form an annular aperture that is in fluid communication with said internal lumen, said annular aperture being formed between an outer surface of said catheter distal end and a distal tip of said internal lumen when said catheter distal end protrudes from said open distal end.
19. The medical guide sheath of claim 17, wherein an inner surface of said open distal end comprises one or more skives in fluid communication with said internal lumen, and said one or more fluid exit ports are in fluid communication with said one or more skives.
20. The medical guide sheath of claim 19, wherein said inner surface of said open distal end is configured for substantially forming a seal with an outer surface of said catheter distal end when said catheter distal end is disposed within said internal lumen.
21. The medical guide sheath of claim 17, wherein said one or more fluid exit ports are located on an outer surface of said open distal end and extend through a wall of said open distal end in fluid communication with said internal lumen, and are disposed at a distally facing oblique angle to a longitudinal axis of said sheath distal end.
22. The medical guide sheath of claim 17, wherein a wall of said open distal end comprises one or more axially disposed fluid lumens, and said one or more fluid exit ports are located on a distally facing edge of said open distal end in fluid communication with said one or more fluid lumens.
23. The medical guide sheath of claim 22, wherein said one or more axially disposed fluid lumens are in fluid communication with said internal lumen.
24. The medical guide sheath of claim 17, wherein said one or more fluid exit ports comprises a plurality of fluid exit ports.
25. The medical guide sheath of claim 17, wherein said catheter is an ablation catheter having a distally mounted ablation electrode.
26. The medical guide sheath of claim 17, further comprising a hemostasis valve mounted on a proximal end of said sheath body.
27. The medical guide sheath of claim 17, wherein said open distal end is steerable.
28. A medical guide sheath, comprising:
an elongated sheath body having an open distal end;
an internal lumen formed within said sheath body; and
a plurality of skives formed on an inner surface of said open distal end, said plurality of skives being in fluid communication with said internal lumen.
29. The medical guide sheath of claim 28, wherein said open distal end comprises a wall having a distally facing surface, and said plurality of skives extends proximally from said distally facing surface.
30. The medical guide sheath of claim 28, further comprising a proximally mounted fluid entry port in fluid communication with said internal lumen.
31. A medical guide sheath, comprising:
an elongated sheath body having an open distal end;
an internal lumen formed within said sheath body; and
a plurality of fluid exit ports located on an outer surface of said open distal end, said plurality of fluid exit ports extending through a wall of said open distal end in fluid communication with said internal lumen, and are disposed at a distally facing oblique angle to a longitudinal axis of said open distal end.
32. The medical guide sheath of claim 31, further comprising a proximally mounted fluid entry port in fluid communication with said internal lumen.
33. A medical guide sheath, comprising:
an elongated sheath body having an open distal end, said open distal end comprising a wall and a distally facing edge;
an internal lumen formed within said sheath body;
a plurality of fluid lumens axially disposed within said open distal end wall; and
a plurality of fluid exit ports located on said distally facing edge in fluid communication with said plurality of fluid lumens.
34. The medical guide sheath of claim 33, wherein said plurality of axially disposed fluid lumens is in fluid communication with said internal lumen.
35. The medical guide sheath of claim 33, further comprising a proximally mounted fluid entry port in fluid communication with said plurality of fluid lumens.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of establishing a secure communication channel, comprising:
sending, by a first party a secure call notification to a second party;
accessing, by the first and second parties, base, prime, and sub-prime parameters;
generating, by the second party, a second asymmetric key pair comprising a second public key and a second private key, based on the base, prime, and sub-prime parameters;
sending, by the second party to the first party, the second public key;
generating, by the first party, a net label, a private label, a random value, a first asymmetric key pair comprising a first public key and a first private key based on the base, prime, and sub-prime parameters, and a shared key based on the second public key;
encrypting, by the first party, the net label, the private label, and the random value, using the shared key;
sending, by the first party to the second party, the encrypted net label, the encrypted private label, the encrypted random value, and the first public key;
generating, by the second party, the shared key based on the first public key;
decrypting, by the second party, the encrypted net label, the encrypted private label, and the encrypted random value using the shared key; and
exchanging, by the first and second parties, respective identification numbers to establish the secure communication channel;
wherein the secure call notification is a first secure call notification, the net label is a first net label, the private label is a first private label, the random value is a first random value, the shared key is a first shared key, the encrypted net label is a first encrypted first net label, the encrypted private label is a first encrypted first private label, and the encrypted random value is a first encrypted first random value further, the method further comprising:
designating, by one of the first party and the second party, either of the first party and the second party as a sender, and the other of the first party and the second party as a non-sender;
suspending, by the sender, the secure communication channel between the first party and the second party;
establishing, by the sender, a communication channel with a third party;
sending, by the sender, a second secure call notification to the third party;
accessing, by the third party, the base, prime, and sub-prime parameters;
generating, by the third party, a third asymmetric key pair comprising a third private key and a third public key, based on the base, prime, and sub-prime parameters;
sending, by the third party to the sender, the third public key;
generating, by the sender, a second private label, a second net label, a second random value, a fourth asymmetric key pair comprising a fourth public key and a fourth private key based on the base, prime, and sub-prime parameters, and a second shared key based on the third public key;
encrypting, by the sender, the second private label, the first net label, and the first random value, using the second shared key, to provide an encrypted second private label, a second encrypted first net label, and a second encrypted first random value;
sending, by the sender to the third party, the encrypted second private label, the second encrypted first net label, the second encrypted first random value, and the fourth public key;
generating, by the third party, the second shared key based on the third public key;
decrypting, by the third party, the encrypted second private label, the second encrypted first net label, and the second encrypted first random value, using the second shared key;
suspending, by the sender, the secure communication channel between the sender and the third party;
sending, by the sender to the third party and the non-sender, a conference call notification;
encrypting, by the sender, the second net label and the second random value, using one of the first public key and the second public key, to provide a first encrypted second net label and a first encrypted second random value;
generating, by the sender, a first error detection value for the first encrypted second net label and the first encrypted second random value;
sending, by the sender to the non-sender, the first encrypted second net label, the first encrypted second random value, and the first error correction value;
generating, by the non-sender, a second error detection value, for the first encrypted second net label and the first encrypted second random value;
checking, by the non-sender, the validity of the first encrypted second net label and the first encrypted second random value by comparing the first and second error detection values;
decrypting, by the non-sender, the first encrypted second net label and the first encrypted second random value, using one of the first private key and the second private key;
encrypting, by the sender, the second net label and the second random value, using the third public key, to provide a second encrypted second net label and a second encrypted second random value;
generating, by the sender, a third error detection value, for the second encrypted second net label and the second encrypted second random value;
sending, by the sender to the third party, the second encrypted second net label, the second encrypted second random value, and the third error correction value;
generating, by the third party, a fourth error detection value, for the second encrypted second net label and the second encrypted second random value;
checking, by the third party, the validity of the second encrypted second net label and the second encrypted second random value by comparing the third and fourth error detection values; and
decrypting, by the third party, the second encrypted second net label and the second encrypted second random value, using third private key.
2. A method of establishing a secure communication channel, comprising:
establishing a communication link among at least three parties comprising a first party and other parties;
sending, by the first party, a broadcast conference call notification to the other parties;
accessing, by the first party and the other parties, base, prime, and sub-prime parameters;
generating, by the first party, a net label, a random value, and a first asymmetric key pair comprising a first public key and a first private key based on the base, prime, and sub-prime parameters;
sending, by the first party, the first public key to each of the other parties;
generating, by each of the other parties, a respective private label, a respective other asymmetric key pair comprising a respective other public key and a respective other private key based on the base, prime, and sub-prime parameters, and a respective other shared key based on the first public key;
encrypting, by each of the other parties, the respective private label using the respective shared key;
sending, by each of the other parties, the respective encrypted private label and the respective other public key to the first party;
computing, by the first user, each respective shared key from each respective public key sent by the other parties;
decrypting, by the first party, each respective encrypted private label using the respective shared keys;
respectively encrypting, by the first user, the net label and the random number, using the respective shared keys;
sending, by the first party, the respective encrypted net labels and the respective encrypted random values to the respective other parties;
decrypting, by the other parties, the respective encrypted net labels and the respective encrypted random values using the respective shared keys; and
establishing, by the first user and the other users, the secure communication channel using the net label and the random value.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
deriving, by the first party, an error checking code for each of the respective other parties from the respective encrypted net labels and the respective encrypted random values;
sending, by the first party, the respective error checking codes to the respective other parties; and
confirming, by the other parties, validity of the respective encrypted net labels and the respective encrypted random values using the respective error checking codes.