1. An article, comprising:
a first layer including a plurality of rows of a first material extending along a first direction, the rows being spaced apart from each other and a center of each adjacent row being separated by a distance less than a wavelength \u03bb; and
a second layer supported by the first layer, the second layer comprising a second material,
wherein the first layer is configured to transmit about 50% or more of radiation of wavelength \u03bb having a first polarization state incident on the first layer along a path and to specularly reflect about 80% or more of radiation of wavelength \u03bb having a second polarization state incident on the first layer along the path, the first and second polarization states being orthogonal, and
the second layer is configured so that the article specularly reflects about 10% or less of the radiation of wavelength \u03bb having the second polarization incident on the article along the path, where the path intersects the first and second layers.
2. The article of claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a plurality of portions comprising the second material, the portions being spaced apart from each other and a center of each adjacent portion being separated by a distance more than \u03bb.
3-6. (canceled)
7. The article of claim 2, wherein the plurality of portions of the second material extend along a second direction.
8-10. (canceled)
11. The article of claim 7, wherein the rows comprising the second material have a width of about 1 \u03bcm or more.
12-13. (canceled)
14. The article of claim 1, wherein the center of adjacent portions are separated by a distance of about 1 \u03bcm or more.
15-17. (canceled)
18. The article of claim 2, wherein the plurality of portions in the second layer each comprise a plurality of rows of the second material extending along the first direction, the rows of the second material being spaced apart from each other and a center of each adjacent row being separated by a distance less than \u03bb.
19. The article of claim 18, wherein the center of each adjacent row of the second material is separated by a distance of about 400 nm or less.
20-21. (canceled)
22. The article of claim 18, wherein the rows of the first material in the first layer are continuous with the rows of the second material in the second layer.
23. The article of claim 1, wherein the second layer has a thickness of about 1,000 nm or less.
24-27. (canceled)
28. The article of claim 1, wherein the first and second materials are different.
29. (canceled)
30. The article of claim 1, wherein the second material is a dielectric material.
31. (canceled)
32. The article of claim 1, wherein the second material is a metallic material.
33. (canceled)
34. The article of claim 2, wherein portions of the second layer between the portions comprising the second material comprise a third material different from the second material.
35. The article of claim 34, wherein the third material is a dielectric material.
36. (canceled)
37. The article of claim 35, wherein the second material is a metallic material.
38. The article of claim 35, wherein the third material has a refractive index at \u03bb that is approximately equal to an effective refractive index of the rows comprising the second material for radiation of wavelength \u03bb having the second polarization state propagating along the axis.
39. The article of claim 35, wherein the second layer is a continuous layer.
40. The article of claim 1, wherein the second layer is configured so that the article specularly reflects about 8% or less of the radiation of wavelength \u03bb having the second polarization incident on the article along the path.
41-43. (canceled)
44. The article of claim 1, wherein the first material is a dielectric material.
45-46. (canceled)
47. The article of claim 1, wherein the first material is a metallic material.
48. The article of claim 47, wherein the first layer comprises a plurality of rows of a dielectric material extending along the first direction, the rows of the dielectric material alternating with the rows of the first material.
49. (canceled)
50. The article of claim 1, wherein the rows of the first material have a width of about 200 nm or less.
51. (canceled)
52. The article of claim 1, wherein each adjacent rows of the first material are separated by a trench having a width in a range from about 50 nm to about 300 nm.
53. The article of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a thickness of about 10 nm or more.
54. (canceled)
55. The article of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a thickness of about 1,000 nm or less.
56. (canceled)
57. The article of claim 1, wherein the first and second layers have a combined thickness of about 5 \u03bcm or less.
58-60. (canceled)
61. The article of claim 1, further comprising a third layer between the first layer and the second layer.
62-63. (canceled)
64. The article of claim 1, wherein the first and second layers are separated by a distance of about 5 \u03bcm or less.
65. (canceled)
66. The article of claim 1, wherein the first layer is a continuous layer.
67. (canceled)
68. The article of claim 1, wherein the first layer transmits about 80% or more of radiation of wavelength \u03bb having the first polarization state incident on the layer along the path.
69. (canceled)
70. The article of claim 1, wherein first the layer blocks about 90% or more of radiation of wavelength \u03bb having the second polarization state incident on the layer along the path.
71-74. (canceled)
75. The article of claim 1, wherein \u03bb is between about 150 nm and about 5,000 nm.
76-77. (canceled)
78. The article of claim 1, the first layer transmits about 50% or more of radiation of wavelength \u03bb having a first polarization state incident on the layer along a path and the layer blocks about 80% or more of radiation of wavelength \u03bb\u2032 having a second polarization state incident on the layer along the path, wherein |\u03bb-\u03bb\u2032| is about 50 nm or more.
79-83. (canceled)
84. An apparatus comprising a Faraday rotator and the article of claim 1 positioned relative to the Faraday rotator so that the path intersects the Faraday rotator.
85-86. (canceled)
87. The apparatus of claim 84 further comprising a polarizer, wherein the Faraday rotator is positioned between the article and the polarizer.
88. The apparatus of claim 84 wherein the apparatus comprises an optical isolator including the Faraday rotator and article.
89-90. (canceled)
91. An article, comprising:
a first layer supported by the substrate, the first layer including a plurality of rows of a first material extending along a first direction, the rows being spaced apart from each other and a center of each adjacent row being separated by a distance less than a wavelength \u03bb;
wherein the first layer is configured to transmit about 50% or more of radiation of wavelength \u03bb having a first polarization state incident on the first layer along a path and to specularly reflect about 80% or more of radiation of wavelength \u03bb having a second polarization state incident on the first layer along the path, the first and second polarization states being orthogonal; and
a second layer supported by the first layer, the second layer comprising a plurality of rows comprising a second material extending along a second direction, the rows being spaced apart from each other and a center of each adjacent row being separated by a distance more than \u03bb,
wherein \u03bb is in a range from about 150 nm to about 5,000 nm.
92-95. (canceled)
96. An article, comprising:
a first layer including a plurality of rows of a first material extending along a first direction, the rows being spaced apart from each other and a center of each adjacent row being separated by a distance less than a wavelength \u03bb; and
a second layer supported by the first layer, the second layer comprising a plurality of portions comprising a second material extending along a second direction, the portions being spaced apart from each other and a center of each adjacent portion being separated by a distance more than \u03bb,
wherein the plurality of portions in the second layer each comprise a plurality of rows of the second material extending along the first direction, the rows of the second material being spaced apart from each other and a center of each adjacent row being separated by a distance less than \u03bb, and
wherein \u03bb is in a range from about 150 nm to about 5,000 nm.
97-114. (canceled)
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 mesh dispensing device comprising:
(a) a housing having a substantially enclosed interior and an opening formed therein;
(b) a plurality of routing guide elements mounted transversely in the interior of the housing;
(c) a closed loop of backing film having a defined circumference, the closed loop of backing film being routed around at least a portion of the plurality of routing guide elements to define a path along which the closed loop of backing film moves;
(d) a defined length of mesh comprising an adhesive substance applied over at least a portion of a side of the mesh, the mesh being detachably adhered to the closed loop of backing film via the adhesive side of the mesh; and
(e) an opening guide element mounted transversely near the opening of the housing, the opening guide element receiving mesh that has been detached from the closed loop of backing film, such that the adhesive side of the mesh is presented at the opening of the housing for dispensing.
2. The mesh dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the opening guide element consists of a roller rotatably mounted at the opening, the rotatably mounted roller of the guide element cooperating with a guide element of the plurality of routing guide elements to separate the mesh from the closed loop of backing film and present the adhesive side of the mesh at the opening of the housing.
3. The mesh dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of routing guide elements are rotatably mounted rollers.
4. The mesh dispensing device of claim 1, wherein spacing between the opening guide element and the plurality of routing guide elements is sufficient to enable a viewing window to be formed in the housing between the opening guide element and the plurality of routing guide elements.
5. The mesh dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of routing guide elements and the opening guide element consist of rollers that are the same size such that they are interchangeable.
6. The mesh dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the defined circumference of the closed loop of backing film is approximately about the same as the defined length of mesh.
7. The mesh dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of routing guide elements consists of four routing guide elements.
8. The mesh dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes two interchangeable side members that are joined to form the housing.
9. A mesh dispensing device comprising:
(a) a housing having an opening formed therein;
(b) a plurality of routing guide elements mounted transversely in the housing;
(c) a closed loop of backing film having a defined circumference, the closed loop of backing film being routed around at least a portion of the plurality of routing guide elements to define a convoluted path along which the closed loop of backing film moves; and
(d) a defined length of mesh comprising an adhesive substance applied over at least a portion of a side of the mesh, the mesh being detachably adhered to the closed loop of backing film via the adhesive side of the mesh;
(e) wherein the mesh is separated from the closed loop of mesh and backing film such that the adhesive side of the separated mesh is presented to the opening of the housing for dispensing.
10. The mesh dispensing device of claim 9, wherein the convoluted path consists of a V-shaped path.
11. The mesh dispensing device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of routing guide elements consist of rotatably mounted rollers.
12. The mesh dispensing device of claim 1 1, wherein each roller of the plurality of rollers is the same size such that the rollers are interchangeable.
13. The mesh dispensing device of claim 9, wherein the defined circumference of the closed loop of backing film is approximately about the same as the defined length of mesh.
14. The mesh dispensing device of claim 9, wherein the closed loop of backing film is routed around all of the plurality of routing guide elements.
15. The mesh dispensing device of claim 9, comprising four routing guide elements.
16. The mesh dispensing device of claim 9, wherein the housing includes two interchangeable side members that are assembled to form the housing.
17. A method for tissue bonding comprising
(a) providing a dispensing device, the dispensing device comprising:
(i) a housing having an opening formed therein;
(ii) a plurality of routing guide elements mounted transversely in the housing;
(iii) a closed loop of backing film having a defined circumference, the closed loop of backing film being routed around at least a portion of the plurality of routing guide elements to define a path along which the closed loop of backing film moves;
(iv) a defined length of mesh comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive substance applied over at least a portion of a side of the mesh, the mesh being detachably adhered to the closed loop of backing film via the adhesive side of the mesh; and
(v) an opening guide element mounted transversely in the housing, the opening guide element receiving mesh that has been separated from the closed loop of backing film, such that the adhesive side of the mesh is presented at the opening of the housing for dispensing.
(b) contacting a tissue surface in need of bonding, wherein at least a portion of the pressure sensitive adhesive side of the mesh is positioned between the tissue surface and the opening guide element;
(c) adhering the at least a portion of the pressure sensitive adhesive side of the mesh to the tissue surface;
(d) operating the dispensing device along the tissue surface;
(e) dispensing the mesh from the opening of the device; and
(f) bonding the tissue surface.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the mesh is impregnated with a polymerization initiator.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of bonding the tissue surface by dispensing the mesh from the opening of the dispensing device along the tissue surface further comprises approximating the tissue surface in need of bonding.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of applying a polymerizable adhesive composition over and substantially covering at least a portion of the mesh; and allowing the polymerizable adhesive composition to permeate into and under the mesh and polymerize to form a composite structure bonded to the tissue surface.