Heating rate modeling and measurements in phantom and in vivo of the human upper extremity in a defective 2450 MHz microwave oven.
Multiple door interlock switches in commercial microwave ovens are designed to prevent accidental exposure and injury. We report a) heating rate (degree/sec) measurements in a phantom of the human upper extremity in a 2450 MHz microwave oven having interlock switches deliberately bypassed; b) skin temperature measurements on the upper extremity of a human volunteer similarly exposed; c) perception of warmth and pain experienced by the volunteer during exposure; d) thermographic camera recordings of the volunteer's skin; and e) finite element modeling of specific absorption rate (SAR) in the volunteer's hand. Moderately severe pain was experienced at the fingertips after 5 sec of exposure, consistent with the modeled SAR, measured heating rates, and published data on the temperature threshold for pain. We estimate that an additional 9 sec of exposure would be required to produce irreversible injury, consisting of focal thermal injury in the fingertips and possibly the thenar and hypothenar eminences.
Oleson
J
J
Department of Radiation Oncology, Health Care International, Scotland.
Samulski
T
T
Clegg
S
S
Das
S
S
Grant
W
W
D003198:Computer Simulation; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D006225:Hand; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006794:Household Articles; D006801:Humans; D008872:Microwaves / Q000009:adverse effects; D008961:Models, Structural