Title :
Continuous wave simulations on the propagation of electromagnetic fields through the human head
Author :
Elloian, Jeffrey M. ; Noetscher, G.M. ; Makarov, Sergey N. ; Pascual-Leone, A.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Worcester Polytech. Inst., Worcester, MA, USA
Abstract :
Characterizing the human head as a propagation medium is useful for remotely observing changes in the material properties of the body. In this study, extensive simulations were performed using the Finite Element Method (FEM) to examine the fields excited by a continuous wave. A custom human head mesh was developed to include the brain, skull, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Small orthogonal coil antennas were systematically placed to generate highly directive beam through the head. These beams can be directed into the mouth where the signal can be received. Through these simulations, it was determined that certain lower-loss volumetric propagation channels may exist within the human head, which are characterized by a waveguide-like behavior.
Keywords :
brain; electromagnetic wave propagation; mesh generation; patient diagnosis; waveguide antennas; FEM; brain; cerebrospinal fluid; continuous wave excitation; continuous wave simulations; custom human head mesh; electromagnetic field propagation; extensive simulations; finite element method; highly directive beam; lower-loss volumetric propagation channels; mouth; propagation medium; skull; small orthogonal coil antennas; waveguide-like behavior; Coils; Dielectrics; Dipole antennas; Head; Surface waves; Biomedical applications of electromagnetic radiation; Electromagnetic propagation in absorbing media; Medical diagnosis; Mesh generation; Surface waves;
Conference_Titel :
Microwave Workshop Series on RF and Wireless Technologies for Biomedical and Healthcare Applications (IMWS-BIO), 2013 IEEE MTT-S International
Conference_Location :
Singapore
DOI :
10.1109/IMWS-BIO.2013.6756171