METHOD OF MAKING A MEDICAL DEVICE HAVING A THIN WALL TUBULAR MEMBRANE OVER A STRUCTURAL FRAME

摘要

The present invention relates to a medical device and method for making the medical device. In particular, the present invention relates to membrane covered structural frame, and to a method of forming a tubular membrane on a structural frame. In one aspect, a polymeric tube is provided having a first diameter and a first tube wall thickness. A radially expandable and contractible structural frame is radially contracted, and inserted into at least a portion of the structural frame. The radially contracted structural frame then expands to expand the polymeric tube to a second diameter, wherein the second diameter is greater than the first diameter. As the polymeric tube radially expands, the tube wall thickness becomes thinner, so that the polymeric tube becomes a thin walled tubular membrane. The polymeric tube and structural frame are then mechanically attached to each other.