US Patent 7691119 Balloon catheter with non-deployable stent

An angioplasty balloon including a non-deployable stent to prevent or reduce the potential for slippage of the inflated balloon with respect to the vessel wall being treated. The balloon includes a non-deployable stent that is adapted to be secured to the balloon or angioplasty balloon catheter. The stent has a proximal end, a distal end, and at least three radially-spaced struts, each strut connecting the proximal end to the distal end and having one or more bends that allow expansion of the strut to accommodate the inflation of the balloon. The stent is made of a material so that the stent collapses upon deflation or the balloon.