Plane wave in vitro exposure of biological samples, geometries considerations

This paper deals with in vitro experiments involving biological samples exposed to free space high power pulsed electromagnetic plane waves. Biological samples under test are Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUV) in solutions or human mammalian tumor cells in suspensions. Different sample containers (such as Petri dishes, Eppendorf tubes or microscope glass slides) have been evaluated in terms of reachable electric coupling efficiency and reachable electric field homogeneity in the biological samples under study. Recommendations for the use of each of them are suggested. Due to the high permittivity of the cell culture medium, we show that the Device Under Test (DUT) may behave as a dielectric resonator. It is the case for the Petri Dish configuration with H field coupling in the axis direction for which the TE_01δ dielectric mode can be excited. At last we present a new idea for Field Homogenization by Volume Extension (FHVE).