Title :
Wireless therapies: Staff and patient safety regarding inhomogeneity of electromagnetic radiation distribution in Physiotherapy units
Author :
Koutsojannis, Constantinos ; Andrikopoulos, Andreas ; Panayiotakis, George
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Physiotherapy, TEI of Western Greece, Aigion, Greece
Abstract :
Micro-wave diathermies (MWD) are a kind of wireless therapeutic systems that are in use for some decades now in all physiotherapy rooms according to national facility establishment regulations. Recently, a probable correlation between the use of diathermies in physiotherapy and health problems has already reported. It is additionally obvious that diathermy devices probably lack validity as working time passes introducing the need of control/resets of the device by qualified personnel in order to maintain its effectiveness in sessions and really withdraws the energy output the therapist asks for. A number of field measurements have already been found over the ICNIRP and National limits in our previous work have also been reported. Furthermore, in this paper we focus on over limited values that have been recorded at different distances, angles and levels above ground, in physiotherapy rooms including objects between transmitting and measuring devices such as beds, chairs and other medical equipment in various formations, following a quality control protocol that has already introduced in a number of units in Western Greece. All the procedure has been conducted through wireless communication between measuring unit and our laboratory center. Serious concerns about not only for staff but also for patient safety regarding the inhomogeneity of electromagnetic radiation (EMF) distribution emitted from MWD devices, are also discussed.
Keywords :
biomedical equipment; health and safety; microwave devices; quality control; radiation therapy; EMF distribution inhomogeneity; ICNIRP; MWD device; bed; chair; diathermy device; electromagnetic radiation distribution; field measurement; health problem; laboratory center; measuring device; measuring unit; medical equipment; microwave diathermy; national facility establishment regulation; patient safety; physiotherapy room; physiotherapy unit; quality control protocol; staff safety; transmitting device; western Greece; wireless communication; wireless therapeutic system; wireless therapy; Electromagnetic fields; Electromagnetic radiation; Medical treatment; Nonhomogeneous media; Protocols; Safety; Wireless communication; Physiotherapy; Wireless therapies; field inhomogeneity; safety protocol;
Conference_Titel :
Wireless Mobile Communication and Healthcare (Mobihealth), 2014 EAI 4th International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Athens
DOI :
10.1109/MOBIHEALTH.2014.7015939