CPC A61F 2/2418 (2013.01) [A61F 2/243 (2013.01); A61F 2/2439 (2013.01); A61F 2/2436 (2013.01); A61F 2/844 (2013.01); A61F 2/9517 (2020.05); A61F 2002/9511 (2013.01)] | 14 Claims |
1. A method of assembling an implantable medical device, the method comprising:
providing a radially expandable and compressible annular frame comprising a plurality of interconnected struts, the plurality of struts comprising a first set of a plurality of first struts and a second set of a plurality of second struts,
connecting the first and second struts to each other to form an annular frame, wherein said connecting comprises overlapping the first struts over adjacent second struts at junctions;
providing a plurality of hinges at the junctions extending from the first struts through corresponding non-circular apertures of the second struts at the junctions, wherein each hinge comprises a cylindrical pivot portion that can rotate in a corresponding aperture of a second strut; and
providing a locking member extending from the pivot portion, wherein the locking member is sized and shaped relative to the corresponding aperture of the second strut so as to prevent radial separation of the first and second struts whenever the locking member is rotationally offset from the corresponding aperture upon radial expansion and compression of the frame; and
mounting one or more actuators on the frame, the one or more actuators configured to radially expand and compress the frame within a predetermined range of diameters corresponding to a predetermined range of angles between the first and second struts; and
expanding or compressing the annular frame, causing the first struts to pivot relative to the second struts at the junctions.
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