What is claimed is:
1. An electronic article surveillance antenna system comprising:
at least one perimeter loop antenna adapted to extend around an entire perimeter of a passageway, said perimeter loop antenna configured as a transmitter antenna for generating an interrogation signal in said passageway.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said passageway has a width of at least 2.0 m.
3. The system of claim 1, said system further comprising at least one floor antenna adapted for installation within a region of a floor of said passageway, said at least one floor antenna being configured as a receiver for receiving a response signal from an electronic article surveillance tag disposed said passageway, said response signal responsive to said interrogation signal.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein said at least one floor antenna is a loop antenna.
5. The system of claim 4, said system comprising first and second ones of said floor loop antennas.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein said first and second floor loop antennas are positioned adjacent each other in a plane of said floor.
7. The system of claim 1, said system further comprising at least one ceiling antenna adapted for installation adjacent a ceiling of said passageway.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein said at least one ceiling antenna is a core antenna.
9. The system of claim 8, said wherein said at least one ceiling antenna comprises a nanocrystalline material.
10. The system of claim 8, said wherein said at least one ceiling antenna comprises an amorphous material.
11. The system of claim 8, said system comprising first and second ones of said ceiling core antennas.
12. The system of claim 1, said system further comprising at least one core receiver antenna adapted for installation adjacent at least one side of said passageway.
13. The system of claim 12, said wherein said at least one core receiver antenna comprises a nanocrystalline material.
14. The system of claim 12, said wherein said at least one core receiver antenna comprises an amorphous material.
15. The system of claim 1, said system further comprising at least one first core receiver antenna adapted for installation adjacent at least a first side of said passageway, and at least one second core receiver antenna adapted for installation adjacent a second side of said passageway.
16. An electronic article surveillance antenna system comprising:
at least one floor loop antenna adapted for installation within a region of a floor of a passageway;
at least one ceiling core antenna adapted for installation adjacent a ceiling of said passageway; and
a perimeter loop antenna adapted to extend around the entire perimeter of said passageway,
at least one of said ceiling core antenna and said perimeter antenna being configured as a transmitter antenna for generating an interrogation signal in said passageway; and said at least one floor loop antenna being configured as a receiver for receiving a response signal from an electronic article surveillance tag disposed said passageway, said response signal responsive to said interrogation signal.
17. The system of claim 16, said system comprising first and second ones of said floor loop antennas.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein said first and second floor loop antennas are positioned adjacent each other in a plane of said floor.
19. The system of claim 16, said system comprising first and second ones of said ceiling core antennas.
20. The system of claim 16, wherein said passageway has a width of at least 2.0 m.
21. The system of claim 16, said wherein said at least one ceiling core antenna comprises a nanocrystalline material.
22. The system of claim 16, said wherein said at least one ceiling antenna comprises an amorphous material.
23. The system of claim 16, said system further comprising at least one core receiver antenna adapted for installation adjacent at least one side of said passageway.
24. The system of claim 23, said wherein said at least one core receiver antenna comprises a nanocrystalline material.
25. The system of claim 23, said wherein said at least one core receiver antenna comprises an amorphous material.
26. The system of claim 16, said system further comprising at least one first core receiver antenna adapted for installation adjacent at least a first side of said passageway, and at least one second core receiver antenna adapted for installation adjacent a second side of said passageway.
27. A method of establishing an EAS or RFID interrogation zone in a passageway, said method comprising:
providing at least one perimeter loop antenna extending around the entire perimeter of said passageway, said perimeter loop antenna configured as a transmitter antenna for generating an interrogation signal in said passageway.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein said passageway has a width of at least 2.0 m.
29. The method of claim 27, said method further comprising providing at least one floor antenna within a region of a floor of said passageway, said at least one floor antenna being configured as a receiver for receiving a response signal from an electronic article surveillance tag disposed said passageway, said response signal responsive to said interrogation signal.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein said at least one floor antenna is a loop antenna.
31. The method of claim 27, said method further comprising providing at least one ceiling antenna adjacent a ceiling of said passageway.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein said at least one ceiling antenna is a core antenna.
33. The method of claim 32, said wherein said at least one ceiling antenna comprises a nanocrystalline material.
34. The method of claim 32, said wherein said at least one ceiling antenna comprises an amorphous material.
35. The method of claim 27, said system further comprising at least one core receiver antenna adapted for installation adjacent at least one side of said passageway.
36. The method of claim 35 said wherein said at least one core receiver antenna comprises a nanocrystalline material.
37. The method of claim 35, said wherein said at least one core receiver antenna comprises an amorphous material.
38. The method of claim 27, said system further comprising at least one first core receiver antenna adapted for installation adjacent at least a first side of said passageway, and at least one second core receiver antenna adapted for installation adjacent a second side of said passageway.
39. An electronic article surveillance antenna system comprising:
at least one transmit antenna connectable to a transmitter for generation of an interrogation signal for transmission into a passageway; and
at least one amorphous core receiver antenna adapted for installation within a region of a floor of the passageway for receiving of a response signal from an electronic article surveillance tag disposed in the passageway, said response signal responsive to said interrogation signal.
40. The system of claim 39, said system comprising a plurality of said amorphous core receiver antennas.
41. The system of claim 40, wherein first and second ones of said plurality of amorphous core receiver antennas are orthogonally disposed to each other.
42. The system of claim 39, wherein said at least one transmit antenna is a loop antenna.
43. The system of claim 39, wherein said at least one transmit antenna is a magnetic core antenna.
44. The system of claim 39, said wherein said at least one amorphous core receiver antenna comprises a nanocrystalline material.
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 for supporting or reshaping a palatopharyngeal muscle with a device, wherein the device comprises a central load bearing section having a first end and a second end, a first filament section having a first free end and a second end connected to the first end of the load bearing section, and a second filament section having a first free end and a second end connected to the second end of the load bearing section comprising the steps of:
a) passing the free end of the first filament section in a first direction leaving the load bearing section around the palatopharyngeal muscle and into a first supporting tissue;
b) passing the free end of the second filament section into tissue in a different direction from the first direction and into a second supporting tissue while maintaining the load bearing section around the palatopharyngeal muscle wherein the passing of the filaments follow a helical path; and
c) applying tension to the free ends of the first and second filament sections to sufficiently support or reshape the palatopharyngeal muscle to achieve multi-vector retraction.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first supporting tissue is the palatoglossal muscle and neighboring muscular structures and the second supporting tissue is the palatopharyngeal muscle and neighboring muscular structures including a superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the applied tension to the free ends of the filaments results in the palatopharyngeal muscle being retracted toward the palatoglossal muscle.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first filament section contains barbs.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein both the first and second filament sections contain barbs.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the barbs of the first filament section are oriented in a direction opposite to an orientation of the barbs of the second filament section.
7. The method of claim 3 wherein the second filament section contains barbs.
8. A method for increasing a patency of an airway of a patient, the airway comprising palatopharyngeal muscles and palatoglossal muscles, the method comprising the step of retracting or supporting one or both of the palatopharyngeal muscles, wherein the step of retracting or supporting the palatopharyngeal muscle(s) comprises:
a) piercing at least one of the palatopharyngeal muscles at a point with a device comprising a filament extending from a tab wherein the filament pierces at least one of the palatopharyngeal muscles;
b) drawing the filament through the at least one palatopharyngeal muscle until the tab rests at the point where the palatopharyngeal muscle had been pierced wherein the drawing of the filament follows a helical path; and
c) applying tension to the filament to retract or support the at least one of the palatopharyngeal muscles.
9. The method of claim 8 where the filament is barbed.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein a first device and a second device each comprising a barbed filament and tab both pierce at least one of the palatopharyngeal muscles and the filament first device anchors in the palatoglossal muscle and the filament of the second device anchors in the palatopharyngeal muscle.