High peak load power supply designed for medical applications

Laser equipment is widely used in medical applications and from cosmetic through to general surgery they all require power supplies able to deliver very high peak energy levels to the laser or discharge tubes.

However, high peak energy and the repetition thereof generates electromagnetic radiation and line disturbance. This is a challenge for power designers who need power solutions that are able to deliver the required amount of power without generating line disturbances, whilst also guaranteeing patient and operator safety when high voltages and energy levels are involved during the process.

CO₂ (carbon dioxide) lasers or Erbium YAG are commonly used in medical applications, though the energy released during the pulse related to the specific task can vary by large amounts. There are different types of pulsing for CO₂ lasers. In the cosmetic word, there is a newer technology called UltraPulse (a very short pulse duration with high pulse power and very high influence), that is even faster than SuperPulse (medium pulse duration with medium pulse power).

“A good device has less than a millisecond pulse width, meaning that it is incredibly fast-firing, requiring the power supply to be able to deliver high energy levels during the pulse, but also able to restore energy for the next pulse.” said Patrick Le Fèvre, Powerbox Chief Marketing and Communication Officer.

“To meet such requirements is a great challenge, though by combining digital power and special PRBX innovations, the PRBX 2.25kW AC/DC capacitor charger SMM3000A80024C effectively meets the requirements of the job and complies with the medical safety standard IEC60601-1 3rd.

The power supply provides a level of protection, primary to secondary main output of 2xMOOP, and 2xMOPP to auxiliary output. To accommodate different capacitor banks and applications, the output voltage can be adjusted from zero to 800VDC (600VDC nominal) with an output current of 5.5A at nominal.

An automatic current controller guarantees that the power envelope is always within safe limits, reducing capacitor aging and overstressing of components, thus contributing to a longer life time. The SMM3000A80024C has a built-in microprocessor constantly monitoring the charging status, reporting end of charge and discharge level, as well as all protection warnings due to abnormal operation such as over-temperature, over-voltage and current.

To reduce line disturbances the SMM3000A80024C includes a very high efficiency Power Factor Corrector (PFC), soft-start circuitry, filtering and is housed in a six-sided shielded case. To limit audible noise to a minimum, the SMM3000A80024C’s fans are thermo-controlled, regulating their speed to the minimum required for normal, safe operation.

The SMM3000A80024C also delivers an auxiliary output voltage of 24VDC, reducing the need for an additional power supply to power laser controller and interfaces. For additional power, the SMM3000A80024C can be connected in parallel.