Grooved roller electrode for a resectoscope

An electrode for use with a resectoscope comprising

• a conductive grooved roller having a selected width adapted to be mounted between a bifurcated arm, said grooved roller having at least two grooves each having a selected width and depth and defining at least one protrusion having edges and sidewalls wherein the ratio of the groove width to the groove depth is selected to be about 0.75 to cause the magnitude of the current densities at the edges of the grooves to be higher than the current densities in the areas between the grooves to enable the electrosurgical current to concentrate along said edges of the protrusion for defining areas of increased current densities which generate sufficient current flow to vaporize tissue.

An electrode for use with a resectoscope comprising

• a conductive grooved roller having a selected width and central opening extending therethrough for rotatably mounting said grooved roller on a conductive core of a bifurcated arm, said grooved roller having at least two grooves each having a selected width defining at least one protrusion having edges and sidewalls wherein the ratio of each groove width to the grooved roller selected width is selected to be about 0.13 to enable the electrosurgical current to concentrate along said edges of the protrusion for defining areas of increased current densities which generate sufficient current flow to vaporize tissue.

An electrode comprising

• a conductive grooved roller having a selected width and a central opening extending therethrough for rotatably mounting said grooved roller on a conductive core of a bifurcated arm, said grooved roller having at least two grooves each having a selected width defining at least one protrusion having edges and sidewalls wherein the ratio of each groove width to the grooved roller selected width is selected to be about 0.13 to enable the electrosurgical current to concentrate along said edges to form areas of increased current densities which generate sufficient current flow to vaporize tissue and coagulate remaining treated tissue.

A method for treating prostate tissue comprising the steps of

• applying a high electrosurgical cutting current to grooved roller having a selected width and having at least two circumferentially extending grooves each having a selected width defining at least one protrusion having edges and sidewalls wherein the ratio of each groove width to the grooved roller selected width is selected to be about 0.13 to enable the electrosurgical current to concentrate along said edges of the protrusion for defining areas of increased current densities at a selected voltage level of between about 200 volts to about 400 volts;
• and
• moving the grooved roller having the electrosurgical cutting current applied thereto over a selected portion of prostate tissue to be treated to vaporize the tissue and form a coagulation layer in a remaining crater of treated tissue of at least 1 mm.