PFA Power Design for Medical Systems
Key Highlights
- PFA uses high-voltage electric pulses to selectively destroy targeted tissue, reducing damage to surrounding structures compared to thermal ablation methods.
- Growing adoption of PFA in clinical settings necessitates specialized power supplies capable of delivering repeatable, high-frequency kilovolt pulses reliably and safely.
- XP Power's high-voltage DC-DC portfolio is integral to developing next-generation ablation platforms that meet regulatory standards and clinical performance requirements.
Based on an interview with Shravan Govindaraj
For a long time, pulsed field ablation (PFA) was restricted to experimental systems and limited deployments. Now, as technology has matured and clinical confidence has grown, large original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are beginning to integrate PFA into mainstream ablation platforms. However, as adoption of the PFA technique grows, it introduces new challenges for reliably powering high-voltage medical systems.
XP Power, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of medical and industrial power supplies, works closely with medical OEMs to develop next-generation ablation platforms. As PFA systems scale toward production volumes and tighter regulatory scrutiny, XP Power’s high-voltage DC-DC portfolio has become part of that design conversation.
To gain a deeper understanding of the road ahead for PFA power designs, we spoke with Shravan Govindaraj, Product Marketing Manager at XP Power, and learned how medical power architectures balance IEC 60601 compliance, isolation, and high-voltage control in the face of growing demand for PFA technology. As Govindaraj puts it, “PFA went from a novel therapy a couple of years ago to mainstream today. All the big medical industry players are already in it or are entering the market through acquisitions or their own developments.”
Shravan Govindaraj is a product marketing professional with over eight years of experience in technical sales and product marketing across multiple industries, including power supplies, electric motors, and HVAC. Shravan joined XP Power in 2022 to develop and implement go-to-market strategies for all XP Power products. Shravan previously worked at Regal Rexnord across technical sales, product marketing, and digital customer experience roles, leading market analysis, sales enablement, and growth strategy initiatives. He also conducted energy assessments as an intern with the U.S. Department of Energy and holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kentucky.
How Pulsed Field Ablation Works
Pulsed field ablation differs fundamentally from earlier ablation techniques that rely on heat. Rather than using radio-frequency (RF) energy to thermally damage tissue, PFA applies short, high-voltage electric pulses that create microscopic disruptions in targeted cells.
“You’re applying a high external electric field at specific cells that you want to kill, and the field creates small holes in them,” Govindaraj says. “If there are enough holes, then the cell loses energy and dies.”
This process, often referred to as irreversible electroporation, enables clinicians to destroy targeted tissue while minimizing damage to surrounding structures. In cardiac procedures, that selectivity matters. Legacy thermal ablation techniques can affect nearby tissue such as the esophagus or vascular structures, increasing procedural risk and recovery time.
Despite PFA’s benefits in precise targeting, its electrical nature introduces new system requirements and challenges. Instead of delivering continuous power, equipment must generate high-frequency, repeatable, and predictable kilovolt pulses.
>>Read the entire article at Mouser
