title: Influence of human model resolution on computed currents induced in organs by 60-Hz magnetic fields.
abstract: The effects of human body model resolution on computed electric fields induced by 60 Hz uniform magnetic fields are investigated. A recently-developed scalar potential finite difference code for low-frequency electromagnetic computations is used to model induction in two anatomically realistic human body models. The first model consists of 204290 cubic voxels with 7.2-mm edges, while the second comprises 1639146 cubic voxels with 3.6-mm edges. Calculations on the lower-resolution model using, for example, the finite difference time domain or impedance methods, push the capabilities of workstations. The scalar method, in contrast, can handle the higher-resolution model using comparable resources. The results are given in terms of average and maximum electric field intensities and current density magnitudes in selected tissues and organs. Although the lower-resolution model provides generally acceptable results, there are important differences that make the added computational burden of the higher-resolution calculations worthwhile. In particular, the higher-resolution modelling generally predicts peak electric fields intensities and current density magnitudes that are slightly higher than those computed using the lower-resolution modelling. The differences can be quite large for small organs such as glands.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. tdawson@ece.uvic.ca
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Caputa
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stuchly
mesh_terms: D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008954:Models, Biological; D009928:Organ Specificity