Patent ID: 6267834
Filing Date: 2001-07-31
Classification: A61F,B29D,Y10S

Abstract:
In a process for manufacturing a radially enlargeable tubular vascular graft having a taped reinforcement layer, which includes the step of providing a workpiece comprising a tubular base graft having an outer surface and a hollow lumen extending longitudinally therethrough, the tubular base graft being formed substantially of a sintered fluoropolymer material and the outer surface having a first diameter after sintering, wherein the process further comprises the improvement of:a longitudinally restraining the workpiece; anda radially shrinking the workpiece by heating, thereby causing the tubular base graft to assume a radially shrunken state with its outer surface having a second diameter which is smaller than the first diameter, and from which the tubular base graft may be subsequently radially enlarged to return to the first diameter.