Abstract: A prosthesis delivery system having a balloon catheter with an inflatable balloon on its exterior. The balloon is inflatable by injection of fluid through a lumen in the catheter and the balloon is initially partially constrained against inflation by a constraint. A tubular prosthesis is disposed on the catheter over at least a portion of the balloon and a portion of the constraint. The tubular prosthesis has a contracted condition and an expanded condition. The tubular prosthesis is initially disposed on the catheter in the contracted condition. Further, a balloon catheter includes a constraint so that the balloon may be sequentially,inflated for dilatation purposes such as in a valvuloplasty operation.

Abstract: A tubular prosthesis device for use within the body. The device includes, a metal filament material formed of metal outer member having an exposed outer surface and a core within the extended outer member formed of a different metal than the outer member. The core is secured within and substantially enclosed by the outer member. The device can be reduced to a small size for introduction into the body lumen and expandable to a sufficiently large size to engage the wall of the body lumen. Stents formed of composite wires are shown.

Abstract: Treating a site within the body by, e.g., placing an endoprosthesis into the body, with a catheter having a proximal portion remaining outside the body and a shaft for positioning inside the body. The shaft includes in a distal portion a selectively expandable member which can be expanded from a small cross-sectional profile for receiving said endoprosthesis about said expandable member in a compact configuration and a large, expanded cross-sectional profile for expanding said prosthesis during placement into the body, and an elastic strip wrapped in helical fashion about said expandable member such that the strip is stretched when said expandable member is expanded to said large cross-sectional profile.