Polymeric medical device systems having shape memory

PURSUANT TO THE INVENTION, MEDICAL DEVICES ARE PROVIDED THAT INCORPORATE MEMORY SYSTEMS IN A WAY THAT ALLOW A POLYMERIC MEDICAL DEVICE TO BE INSERTED IN A FIRST CONFORMATION OR CONFIGURATION AND RETURN TO A SECOND CONFORMATION OR CONFIGURATION. IN ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE INVENTION, A MEDICAL DEVICE IS PROVIDED, AS MAY BE A URETRAL STENT THAT INCLUDES A LONG ELEMENT (10) THAT HAS A PROXIMAL EXTREME PART AND A DISTAL EXTREME PART JOINED BY A BODY PART. THE EXTENDED ELEMENT HAS AN INITIAL OUTER DIAMETER. THE ELEMENT IS FORMULATED FROM A PHYSIOLOGICALLY ACCEPTABLE POLYMER CAPABLE OF HYDRATION AND EXPANSION.