1. An improved display case, comprising:
a display case having air flow paths for circulating air around one or more objects displayable in a display area in the display case and having a continuous air circulation mode of operation,
one or more ultraviolet radiation elements suitably positioned within the air paths for sanitizing the circulating air during the continuous air circulation mode of operation to reduce an amount of airborne contaminants therein,
a lower trough area of the display case through which the circulating air flows, and
at least one of the ultraviolet radiation elements positioned suitably within said lower trough area to sanitize air flowing through the lower trough area of the display case during the continuous air circulation mode of operation.
2. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein the lower trough area comprises one or more waste drains for draining liquids from the display case.
3. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein at least one or more of the ultraviolet radiation elements is suitably positioned to sanitize surface areas in the lower trough area of the display case.
4. The improved display case of claim 1, further comprising:
one or more refrigeration coils within the air flow paths of the display case,
wherein at least one of the ultraviolet radiation elements is positioned suitably to sanitize air received by the one or more refrigeration coils and at least one of the ultraviolet radiation elements is positioned suitably to sanitize air received from the one or more refrigeration coils.
5. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein one or more of the ultraviolet radiation elements include reflective shielding for shielding the display area and areas outside the display case from direct exposure of ultraviolet light or for concentrating ultraviolet light radiated from the ultraviolet radiation elements.
6. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein one or more ultraviolet elements are suitably positioned within the display case proximate to a location at which air is released into the display area and whereby the air released into the display area is sanitized by the one or more ultraviolet radiation elements.
7. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein the one or more ultraviolet radiation elements comprise germicidal ultraviolet lamps.
8. The improved display case of claim 7, wherein the germicidal ultraviolet lamps are suitably designed to deliver a dosage of ultraviolet energy sufficient to sanitize the circulating air within the display case.
9. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein the display case is one of a produce display case, meats display case, vegetables display case, floral display case, dairy display case, or a frozen foods display case.
10. The improved display case of claim 1, wherein the one or more ultraviolet radiation elements include water resistant or water tight sealants for operation within the display case.
11. A method of sanitizing a display case used for displaying one or more objects displayable in a display area, the method comprising:
circulating air around one or more objects displayed in said display area of said display case through air flow path in said display case while said display case is operating in a continuous air circulation mode of operation,
sanitizing the circulating air during the continuous air circulation mode of operation using one or more ultraviolet radiation elements suitably positioned within the air paths to reduce an amount of airborne contaminants therein,
flowing the circulating air through a lower trough area of the display case, and
sanitizing the air flowing through the lower trough area of the display case during the continuous air circulation mode of operation using at least one of the ultraviolet radiation elements positioned suitably within said lower trough area.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising draining liquids from the display case using one or more waste drains positioned in the lower trough area of the display case.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising sanitizing surface areas in the lower trough area of the display case using at least one or more of the ultraviolet radiation elements suitably positioned to sanitize said surface areas.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
refrigerating air circulating within the air flow paths of the display case using one or more refrigeration coils, and
sanitizing air received by the one or more refrigeration coils using at least one of the ultraviolet radiation elements and sanitizing air received from the one or more refrigeration coils using at least one of the ultraviolet radiation elements.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising shielding the display area and areas outside the display case from direct exposure of ultraviolet light or concentrating ultraviolet light radiated from the ultraviolet radiation elements using reflective shielding of the one or more of the ultraviolet radiation elements.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising sanitizing the air released into the display area using one or more ultraviolet elements suitably positioned within the display case proximate to a location at which air is released into the display area.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more ultraviolet radiation elements comprise germicidal ultraviolet lamps.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the germicidal ultraviolet lamps are suitably designed to deliver a dosage of ultraviolet energy sufficient to sanitize the circulating air within the display case.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein the display case is a produce display case, meats display case, vegetables display case, floral display case, dairy display case, or a frozen foods display case.
20. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more ultraviolet radiation elements include water resistant or water tight sealants for operation within the display case.
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 self-expanding device having a first compressed configuration enabling low profile delivery through a delivery device, and a second expanded configuration for apposition against tissue, wherein the device comprises either a single continuous filament or at least two non-intersecting filaments, wherein at least a portion of the device comprises a polymer, and wherein the device is capable of biodegrading over a predetermined period of time.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least one metallic filament.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the polymer is at least partially coated with a drug eluting layer.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein a drug is configured to be released from the drug eluting layer over a period of time from about 5 to about 120 days.
5. The device of claim 3, wherein the drug eluting layer is discontinuous.
6. The device of claim 3, further comprising a release rate modifier.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the release rate modifier is a polyethylene glycol.
8. The device of claim 4 wherein the drug is selected from the group consisting of an anti-inflammatory agent, an anti-allergen, an anti-cholinergic agent, an antihistamine, an anti-infective, an anti-platelet agent, an anti-coagulant, an anti-thrombic agent, an anti-scarring agent, an anti-proliferative agent, a chemotherapeutic agent, an anti-neoplastic agent, a decongestant, a vitamin, a hypersomolar agent, an immunomodulator, an immunosuppressive agent, and combinations and mixtures thereof.
9. The device of claim 8 wherein the drug is an anti-inflammatory agent.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein the drug is mometasone furoate.
11. A self-expanding device having a size and configuration adapted for implantation within one or more sinus cavities, wherein the device has a first compressed configuration enabling low profile delivery through a delivery device, and a second expanded configuration for apposition against tissue, wherein the device comprises either a single continuous filament or at least two non-intersecting filaments, wherein at least a portion of the device comprises a polymer, and wherein the device is capable of biodegrading over a predetermined period of time.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein the device has a size and configuration adapted for implantation within a cavity selected from the group consisting of an ethmoid sinus cavity, a maxillary sinus cavity, a frontal sinus cavity, a sphenoid sinus cavity, and combinations thereof.
13. A self-expanding device having a first compressed configuration enabling low profile delivery through a delivery device, and a second expanded configuration for apposition against tissue, wherein at least a portion of the device comprises a biodegradable polymer and formed into a shape having a series of peaks and valleys.
14. The device of claim 13, wherein at least one of the peaks and valleys has a loop at an end thereof.
15. The device of claim 14, wherein the loop is coated or impregnated with a polymer for delivery of a drug therefrom.
16. The device of claim 14, wherein the loop is configured to provide for even distribution of bending stresses applied to the device when the device is placed in its first configuration and loaded into the delivery device.
17. The device of claim 14, wherein the loop comprises an eyelet for passage of a suture therethrough.
18. The device of claim 17, further comprising a suture passing through the eyelet whereby the suture is configured to collapse the device from its second configuration to its first configuration when the suture is pulled.
19. The device of claim 13, wherein the polymer is at least partially coated with a drug eluting layer.
20. The device of claim 19, wherein the polymer and the drug eluting layer comprise PLG, and wherein the polymer and the drug eluting layer have different molar ratios of lactide to glycolide.
21. The device of claim 19, wherein the drug eluting layer comprises mometasone furoate.
22. The device of claim 14, wherein the angle defined by the loop apex is about 30\xb0 to about 150\xb0 when the device is in the radially expanded configuration.
23. A method of treating one or more sinus cavities comprising:
advancing a device adjacent to a sinus cavity, wherein the device comprises a polymer at least partially coated with a drug eluting layer, the device degradable over a predetermined period of time and formed into a shape having a series of peaks and valleys; and
expanding the device at least partially within the sinus cavity.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the device is advanced adjacent to the sinus cavity in a compressed configuration.
25. The method of claim 23, further comprising crimping the device prior to advancing the device, wherein the ratio of the device prior to crimping and after crimping is in the range of about 1:2-1:12.
26. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one of the peaks and valleys have a loop at an end thereof.
27. A method of making a self-expanding device comprising:
extruding a polymer filament, wherein the polymer filament comprises PLG having a molar percent of glycolide from about 70-100% or a molar percent of lactide from about 70-100%;
coating the polymer filament with a drug eluting layer; and
forming the device, wherein the device is crimpable from an expanded configuration to a delivery configuration by at least two-fold.
28. The method of claim 27 further comprising crimping the device.