Patent ID: 6887265

Claim:
A method for deploying a stent within a body lumen, said method comprising the steps of: providing a stent comprising a stent body comprising an elastic material, said stent body being characterized by a free cylindrical shape having a free diameter d; deforming said stent body to a diameter smaller than said free diameter d; covering said stent with a covering while said stent body is at said diameter smaller than said free diameter d, said covering substantially preventing said stent body from expanding towards said free diameter d and wherein said covering allows said stent body to be expanded to a useful diameter equal to or less than the free diameter d, and wherein after the expansion by a balloon catheter of said stent body once positioned in a target location of the body, to a useful diameter less than said free diameter d, said covering substantially prevents said expanded stent body from expanding towards said free diameter d; inserting said stent into the body lumen; and mechanically expanding said stent.