A simplified spherical lens model for cranial exposure to 60 Hz electromagnetic fields

Author

Johnson, D.C. ; LaCourse, J.R.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., New Hampshire Univ., Durham, NH, USA

fYear

1992

fDate

1992

Firstpage

7

Lastpage

8

Abstract

A simplified model of cranial exposure to 60-Hz electromagnetic fields is developed and analyzed. The physiological mechanisms surrounding exposure effects in the central regions of the brain, and pertinence to this model, are described. The simplified model is based on three concentric spherical shells representing the skull, grey matter, and white matter of the head. Approximated boundary conditions are satisfied along each shell interface. The ray tracing method is used to show that the spherical shells model the characteristics of a lens, thus focusing all incident fields on the center regions of the brain. The focusing effect of concentrating field strengths in the thalamus theoretically produces very high local current densities, possibly interfering with the normal functions of many endocrine system organs and glands.

Keywords

biological effects of fields; brain models; 60 Hz; boundary conditions; brain central regions; concentric spherical shells; cranial EM field exposure; endocrine system organs; glands; grey matter; head; less characteristics; local current density; physiological mechanisms; ray tracing method; simplified spherical lens model; skull; thalamus; white matter; Boundary conditions; Brain modeling; Cranial; Current density; Electromagnetic analysis; Electromagnetic fields; Electromagnetic modeling; Lenses; Ray tracing; Skull;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Bioengineering Conference, 1992., Proceedings of the 1992 Eighteenth IEEE Annual Northeast

Conference_Location

Kingston, RI, USA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-0902-2

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/NEBC.1992.285935

Filename

285935