High strength member for intracorporeal use

A method for making a stent, comprising:

• forming cylindrical elements with undulating components from tubing of an alloy containing about 28 to about 65 weight percent cobalt, about 5 to about 35 weight percent chromium, about 2 to about 40 weight percent nickel, the undulating components have a relatively flat cross section and are arranged such that they are generally aligned along a common longitudinal axis and interconnected;
• electrochemically polishing the cylindrical elements, thereby forming a stent, the stent being plastically deformable to expand from a first diameter to a second larger diameter suitable for holding open a blood vessel.

A method for making a stent, comprising:

• forming cylindrical elements with undulating components from tubing of an alloy containing about 28 to about 65 weight percent cobalt, the alloy further containing chromium and nickel, and at least one element from the group consisting of molybdenum and tungsten, wherein the undulating components have a relatively flat cross section and the cylindrical elements are arranged such that the cylindrical elements are generally aligned along a common longitudinal axis and interconnected;
• electrochemically polishing the cylindrical elements, thereby forming a stent plastically deformable to expand from a first diameter to a second larger diameter suitable for maintaining the patency of a blood vessel.