Surgical energy systems, a specialized niche in power electronics, directly connect power converters to patients to deliver electrical energy for medical therapies such as radiofrequency ablation, electroporation, and pulsed field ablation. These systems are extensively used in hospitals and clinics for treating a wide range of health conditions yet are relatively unknown to the broader technical community. This article introduces the field of surgical energy, describes the power electronics design challenges unique to these applications, and highlights surgical energy’s significant positive impact on human health.
