Patent ID: 7914639

Claim:
A method for making an implantable medical device, comprising: extruding a first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube; extruding a second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube; cutting a plurality of openings in both the first and second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tubes; positioning the first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube with openings on a mandrel, followed by placing a support layer comprising at least one stent on the first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube, followed by placing the second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube with openings on the support layer such that the openings in the second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube are out of phase with the openings in the first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube such that none of the openings of the second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube overlap the openings of the first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube; and laminating the first expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube to the second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube through openings in the support layer.