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A medical device for use in the interior of a body lumen includes a balloon catheter and a radially expandable stent. The stent includes a plurality of zig-zags of a low memory metal formed into a hollow, open-ended cylindrical shape. The individual zig-zags have a curved portion forming a reversing

A medical device for use in the interior of a body lumen includes a balloon catheter and a radially expandable stent. The stent includes a plurality of zig-zags of a low memory metal formed into a hollow, open-ended cylindrical shape. The individual zig-zags have a curved portion forming a reversing bend which allows the zig-zags to expand and deform as the balloon radially expands the stent. The curved portions of the zig-zags are aligned along the length of the stent in a spaced-apart arrangement with some curved portions attached and others unattached to adjacent zig-zags. The resulting stent is longitudinally flexible throughout its length when unexpanded and is also capable of conforming to a bend in the body lumen when expanded.

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1. An intravascular stent, comprising: a continuous sinusoidal shaped wire, wherein said wire is coiled to form a helical-shaped stent body, wherein said stent is expandable from a first delivery diameter to a second implanted diameter. 2. The intravascular stent of claim 1, wherein said stent

1. An intravascular stent, comprising: a continuous sinusoidal shaped wire, wherein said wire is coiled to form a helical-shaped stent body, wherein said stent is expandable from a first delivery diameter to a second implanted diameter. 2. The intravascular stent of claim 1, wherein said stent is mounted on a balloon of a balloon catheter assembly and expanded to said second implanted diameter upon inflation of said balloon. 3. The intravascular stent of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said stent is expanded by the balloon of a balloon catheter. 4. An intravascular stent, comprising: a helical shaped stent body including a wire coiled into said helical shape, wherein said wire comprises a series of undulations, wherein the stent body may be expanded from a first delivery diameter to a second implanted diameter. 5. The intravascular stent of claim 4, wherein said stent is mounted on a balloon of a balloon catheter assembly and expanded to said second implanted diameter upon inflation of said balloon. 6. The intravascular stent of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of said stent is expanded by the balloon of a balloon catheter. 7. A stent for implantation into a body lumen, comprising: an undulating wire coiled into a helical shape to form a cylindrical stent body, wherein said stent can be expanded within said lumen from a first diameter to a second diameter. 8. The stent of claim 7, wherein said stent is mounted on a balloon of a balloon catheter assembly and expanded to said second diameter upon inflation of said balloon. 9. The stent of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of said stent is expanded by the balloon of a balloon catheter.