Patent ID: 8028500

Claim:
A method of producing an intravaginal device comprising the steps of: a) placing a substantially cylindrical fluid storage element in a central cavity of a male tool disposed along a machine axis, the male tool comprising a plurality of pleating blades extending in a direction radially away from the machine axis, each of the plurality of pleating blades is spaced at a uniform radial distance from the machine axis to define the central cavity; b) folding a flexible sheet about the male tool and the fluid storage element by means of relative motion of a female tool disposed along the machine axis, the female tool comprising a plurality of folding elements extending from a base portion proximate the machine axis in a direction radially away from the machine axis, each folding element comprising a pair of folding blades separated by a folding element gap sufficient to accept a corresponding pleating blade of the male tool, and each folding element is spaced at a uniform radial distance from the machine axis to define a central cavity of the female tool; and c) moving an attachment tool into a gap defined by spaced apart bases of adjacent folding elements to attach at least a portion of the flexible sheet to at least a portion of a side of the fluid storage element such that portions of the flexible sheet that are folded about the pleating blades of the male tool extend away from the fluid storage element.