Patent ID: 7871659

Claim:
A method of visualizing a medical device during implantation thereof with ultrasonic imaging, said method comprising: (a) providing a medical device having at least a portion thereof made of an opaque porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material and at least one dried, covalently cross-linked, hydrophilic polymeric material placed in pores of said porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material; (b) exposing said medical device to an aqueous medium in vivo; (c) permitting said aqueous medium to contact said hydrophilic polymeric material in pores of said porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material; (d) visualizing said medical device with ultrasonic imaging in the presence of said aqueous medium; and (e) observing at least a portion of said opaque porous expanded polvtetrafluoroethylene material becoming translucent or transparent during said ultrasonic imaging.