RF Energy in Medicine

Transistors that generate high-power RF energy are typically associated with powering telecommunications systems that transmit a signal over the air. This RF energy (also called RF power) is the driving force within a wide range of medical systems that treat disorders ranging from skin aging to neoplasia, heart pathologies, and essential hypertension. The sources of RF power began as rudimentary sources of electricity and quickly transitioned to vacuum tubes after they were invented, and today to solid-state devices. As a result, medical systems today use RF power transistors of various kinds to generate RF power.

This white paper covers a wide range of topics, from the history of RF in medicine, to typical applications and how they work, and some new experimental applications that show promise.