title: Desktop exposure system and dosimetry for small scale in vivo radiofrequency exposure experiments.
abstract: This paper describes a new approach to the risk assessment of exposure from wireless network devices, including an exposure setup and dosimetric assessment for in vivo studies. A novel desktop reverberation chamber has been developed for well-controlled exposure of mice for up to 24 h per day to address the biological impact of human exposure scenarios by wireless networks. The carrier frequency of 2.45 GHz corresponds to one of the major bands used in data communication networks and is modulated by various modulation schemes, including Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and wireless local area network, etc. The system has been designed to enable exposures of whole-body averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) of up to 15 W/kg for six mice of an average weight of 25 g or of up to 320 V/m incident time-averaged fields under loaded conditions without distortion of the signal. The dosimetry for whole-body SAR and organ-averaged SAR of the exposed mice, with analysis of uncertainty and variation analysis, is assessed. The experimental dosimetry based on temperature measurement agrees well with the numerical dosimetry, with a very good SAR uniformity of 0.4 dB in the chamber. Furthermore, a thermal analysis and measurements were performed to provide better understanding of the temperature load and distribution in the mice during exposure.
authors.affiliation: IT'IS Foundation, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.|Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yijian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: IT'IS Foundation, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Myles
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capstick
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tillmann
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dasenbrock
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Samaras
authors.affiliation: IT'IS Foundation, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.|Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000295:instrumentation; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011846:Radio Waves / Q000009:adverse effects; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D051381:Rats; D013696:Temperature; D059015:Wireless Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*
keywords: numerical dosimetry; reverberation chamber; thermal dosimetry; wireless exposure