A prosthetic tri-leaflet valve formed by involuting a portion of a tubular
structure inside itself. The valve can be made by a method comprising
providing a tubular segment in which three equidistant longitudinal
incisions are made in one end of the tube creating three flaps which are
involuted, i.e., folded, in toward the inside of the tube and the edges
of the flaps secured to the inner wall of the tube to form leaflets. The
tube can be formed of a single sheet of synthetic, organic or biological
material and can be solid, woven, braided or the like. A braided
configuration permits the valve to be annularly compressed and delivered
to the site using a minimally invasive delivery mechanism, then expanded
at the implantation site.