This review/commentary addresses recent thermal and electromagnetic modeling studies that use image-based anthropomorphic human models to establish the local absorption of radiofrequency energy and the resulting increase in temperature in the body. The frequency range of present interest is from 100 MHz through the transition frequency (where the basic restrictions in exposure guidelines change from specific absorption rate to incident power density, which occurs at 3-10 GHz depending on the guideline). Several detailed thermal modeling studies are reviewed to compare a recently introduced dosimetric quantity, the heating factor, across different exposure conditions as related to the peak temperature rise in tissue that would be permitted by limits for local body exposure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAustralas Phys Eng Sci Med
December 2010
A novel numerical model to simulate thermal response of human body tissues exposed to RF energy is presented in this article. It is based on a new algorithm for the construction of a realistic blood vessel network, a new model of blood flow velocity distribution and an approach to solve the bio-heat equation in human tissue with variable and initially unknown blood temperature distribution. The algorithm generates a discrete 3D representation of both arterial and venous vascular networks and a continuous blood velocity vector field for arbitrary enclosed geometries required to represent the complex anatomy of human body and blood flow.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn electromagnetic analysis of a human head with EEG electrodes and leads exposed to RF-field sources was performed by means of Finite-Difference Time-Domain simulations on a 1-mm(3) MRI-based human head model. RF-field source models included a half-wave dipole, a patch antenna, and a realistic CAD-based mobile phone at 915 MHz and 1748 MHz. EEG electrodes/leads models included two configurations of EEG leads, both a standard 10-20 montage with 19 electrodes and a 32-electrode cap, and metallic and high resistive leads.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReports that low-intensity microwave radiation induces heat-shock reporter gene expression in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, have recently been reinterpreted as a subtle thermal effect caused by slight heating. This study used a microwave exposure system (1.0 GHz, 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe diffusion of wireless technology has caused concerns about interference in the hospital environment. Most hospitals have banned the use of cell phones on their premises although wireless technology can help in delivering time critical help to patients. We discuss some factors of radio frequency (RF) near field interference.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe specific absorption rates (SAR) determined computationally in the specific anthropomorphic mannequin (SAM) and anatomically correct models of the human head when exposed to a mobile phone model are compared as part of a study organized by IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 34, SubCommittee 2, and Working Group 2, and carried out by an international task force comprising 14 government, academic, and industrial research institutions. The detailed study protocol defined the computational head and mobile phone models. The participants used different finite-difference time-domain software and independently positioned the mobile phone and head models in accordance with the protocol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNumerical and experimental methods were employed to assess the individual and collective dosimetry of mice used in a bioassay on the exposure to pulsed radiofrequency energy at 900 MHz in the Ferris-wheel exposure system (Utteridge et al., Radiat. Res.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF