In one embodiment of the invention, a method of forming a prosthetic check valve is disclosed. The prosthetic check valve is formed of leaflets cut from filtration screen material with uniform pore size having openings with a dimension inclusively between fifteen and sixty microns. The screen material is made from biocompatible material, such as polyester or polypropylene. One or more outer edges of the leaflet are fused or sealed to prevent fraying of the material and to form a more non-thrombogenic surface. Prosthetic check valves assembled with the leaflets can be collapsed to a diameter of less than or equal to twenty-nine french (29 f), sterilized, and stored in a collapsed state. The collapsed valve can be implanted without prior rinsing to remove sterilant.
