these dimensions can be varied stent 80 is positioned on the distal end of a delivery catheter covered with a removable sheath advanced to a stenosis to be crossed and exposed for self expansion by removal of the sheath stent 80 expands radially to its memorized tapered shape pushing against the stenosis and vessel wall fig4 illustrates in more detail the nitinol unexpanded stent embodiment of fig3 in flat plan view as a stent 100 having a middle region 104 and end regions 106 and 108 stent 100 has a tubular shape shown in fig5 formed of several serpentine segments 105 107 109 111 and 113 having a zig zag pattern each segment radially encircling a portion of stent 100 referring again to fig4 segments 113 are longitudinally interconnected by connectors 110 whereas the serpentine segments 105 107 109 and 111 are all interconnected as shown in fig4 a and 4 b by direct connections 112 a preferred material for constructing stent 100 is nitinol in this embodiment the stent is formed by laser cutting a continuous walled nitinol tube of diameter 0 081 inches having a wall thickness of 0 006 inches leaving only the stent structure as shown typical dimensions of various elements of the stent are shown in the figure by way of example referring now to fig6 the stent of fig4 is shown expanded and tapered.