Magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia (MNH) emerges as a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment, leveraging alternating magnetic fields (AMFs) to induce localized heating through magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). However, the interaction of AMFs with biological tissues leads to non-specific heating caused by eddy currents, triggering thermoregulatory responses and complex thermal gradients throughout the body of the patient. While previous studies have implemented the Atkinson-Brezovich limit to mitigate potential harm, recent research underscores discrepancies between this threshold and clinical outcomes, necessitating a re-evaluation of this safety limit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe European Union's Workers' Directive 2013/35/EU on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to electromagnetic fields specifies action levels (ALs) for external electric and magnetic fields, which should protect against induced tissue-internal electric field strengthabove the exposure limit values, the latter being defined in order to prevent tissue stimulation at low frequencies. However, although 2013/35/EU explicitly calls for the protection of 'workers at particular risk' (including workers with metallic implants), the AL specified in the Directive have been derived under the assumption that there are no metallic parts present inside the body. Therefore, in the present work, we analysed the situation of a worker's hand and forearm bearing metallic implants (Herbert screw and volar radius plate) used for osteosynthesis after the most common bone fractures of the hand/forearm, exposed to low frequency magnetic fields.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIEEE Open J Eng Med Biol
August 2023
Deep-seated tumors (DST) can be treated using thermoseeds exposed to a radiofrequency magnetic field for performing local interstitial hyperthermia treatment (HT). Several research efforts were oriented to the manufacturing of novel biocompatible magnetic nanostructured thermo-seeds, called magnetic scaffolds (MagS). Several iron-doped bioceramics or magnetic polymers in various formulations are available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present study focuses on the development of a methodology for evaluating the safety of MNH systems, through the numerical prediction of the induced temperature rise in superficial skin layers due to eddy currents heating under an alternating magnetic field (AMF). The methodology is supported and validated through experimental measurements of the AMF's distribution, as well as temperature data from the torsos of six patients who participated in a clinical trial study. The simulations involved a computational model of the actual coil, a computational model of the cooling system used for the cooling of the patients during treatment, and a detailed human anatomical model from the Virtual Population family.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOwing to the advancement of wireless technologies, there is a strong public perception of increasing exposure to Radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF). The aim of this study is to determine the evolution of EMF in the environment, and consequently, human exposure to them, over a period of about two decades, spanning from the end of 2003 until February 2022. The study is based on data collected by two non-ionizing radiation monitoring networks in Greece.
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