SAR reduction using a single SRR superstrate for a dual-band antenna

A dual-band microstrip antenna operating at GSM 900 and GSM 1800 MHz is designed initially. Then a single split ring resonator (SRR) structure is used as a superstrate for this dual-band antenna. A circular current is induced in the SRR due to the perpendicular plane wave excitation, which in turn leads to an electric excitation coupled to the magnetic resonance. It also exhibits higher order excitations at 0.9 and 1.8 GHz which ultimately resulted in specific absorption rate (SAR) reduction of human head at both the designed frequencies of the antenna. The antenna and the SRR superstrate are printed on a 1.6 mm thick FR-4 substrate of dimension 59.6 × 49.6 mm². Analysis of the SRR using the classic waveguide theory approach is discussed. Radiation pattern of the antenna in the presence of SRR superstrate and human head is also discussed. Prototype of the antenna along with the SRR superstrate is fabricated and measured for return loss and radiation pattern. Measurement results fairly agree with the simulated results. A human head phantom is utilized in the calculation of SAR.     

Determination of safety distance limits for a human near a cellular base station antenna,adopting the IEEE standard or ICNIRP guidelines

This paper investigates the minimum distance for a human body in the near field of a cellular telephone base station antenna for which there is compliance with the IEEE or ICNIRP threshold values for radio frequency electromagnetic energy absorption in the human body. First, local maximum specific absorption rates (SARs), measured and averaged over volumes equivalent to 1 and to 10 g tissue within the trunk region of a physical, liquid filled shell phantom facing and irradiated by a typical GSM 900 base station antenna, were compared to corresponding calculated SAR values. The calculation used a homogeneous Visible Human body model in front of a simulated base station antenna of the same type. Both real and simulated base station antennas operated at 935 MHz. Antenna-body distances were between 1 and 65 cm. The agreement between measurements and calculations was excellent. This gave confidence in the subsequent calculated SAR values for the heterogeneous Visible Human model, for which each tissue was assigned the currently accepted values for permittivity and conductivity at 935 MHz. Calculated SAR values within the trunk of the body were found to be about double those for the homogeneous case. When the IEEE standard and the ICNIRP guidelines are both to be complied with, the local SAR averaged over 1 g tissue was found to be the determining parameter. Emitted power values from the antenna that produced the maximum SAR value over 1 g specified in the IEEE standard at the base station are less than those needed to reach the ICNIRP threshold specified for the local SAR averaged over 10 g. For the GSM base station antenna investigated here operating at 935 MHz with 40 W emitted power, the model indicates that the human body should not be closer to the antenna than 18 cm for controlled environment exposure, or about 95 cm for uncontrolled environment exposure. These safe distance limits are for SARs averaged over 1 g tissue. The corresponding safety distance limits under the ICNIRP guidelines for SAR taken over 10 g tissue are 5 cm for occupational exposure and about 75 cm for general-public exposure.     

Influence of dentures on SAR in the visible Chinese human head voxel phantom exposed to a mobile phone at 900 and 1800 MHz

To investigate the influence of dentures on electromagnetic energy absorption during the daily use of a mobile phone, a high-resolution head phantom based on the Visible Chinese Human dataset was reconstructed. Simulations on phantoms with various dentures were performed by using the finite-difference time-domain method with a 0.47 wavelength dipole antenna and a mobile phone model as radiation sources at 900 and 1800 MHz. The Specific energy Absorption Rate (SAR) values including 1 and 10 g average SAR values were assessed. When the metallic dental crowns with resonance lengths of approximately one-third to one-half wavelength in the tissue nearby are parallel to the radiation source, up to 121.6% relative enhancement for 1 g average SAR and 17.1% relative enhancement for 10 g average SAR are observed due to the resonance effect in energy absorption. When the radiation sources operate in the normal configuration, the 10 g average SAR values are still in compliance with the basic restrictions established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), indicating that the safety limits will not be challenged by the usage of dentures.     

Metamaterial-Embedded Low SAR PIFA for Cellular Phone

A metamaterial-embedded planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) is proposed in this study for cellular phone applications. A dual-band PIFA is designed to operate both GSM 900 MHz and DCS 1800 MHz. The ground plane of a conventional PIFA is modified using a planar one-dimensional metamaterial array. The investigation is performed using the Finite Integration Technique (FIT) of CST Microwave Studio. The performance of the developed antenna was measured in an anechoic chamber. The specific absorption rate (SAR) values are calculated considering two different holding positions: cheek and tilt. The SAR values are measured using COMOSAR measurement system. Good agreement is observed between the simulated and measured data. The results indicate that the proposed metamaterial-embedded antenna produces significantly lower SAR in the human head compared to the conventional PIFA. Moreover, the modified antenna substrate leads to slight improvement of the antenna performances.     

Assessment of SAR and thermal changes near a cochlear implant system for mobile phone type exposures

A cochlear implant system is a device used to enable hearing in people with severe hearing loss and consists of an internal implant and external speech processor. This study considers the effect of scattered radiofrequency fields when these persons are subject to mobile phone type exposure. A worst-case scenario is considered where the antenna is operating at nominal full power, the speech processor is situated behind the ear using a metallic hook, and the antenna is adjacent to the hook and the internal ball electrode. The resultant energy deposition and thermal changes were determined through numerical modelling. With a 900 MHz half-wave dipole antenna producing continuous-wave (CW) 250 mW power, the maximum 10 g averaged SAR was 1.31 W/kg which occurred in the vicinity of the hook and the ball electrode. The maximum temperature increase was 0.33 degrees C in skin adjacent to the hook. For the 1800 MHz antenna, operating at 125 mW, the maximum 10 g averaged SAR was 0.93 W/kg in the pinna whilst the maximum temperature change was 0.16 degrees C. The analysis predicts that the wearer complies with the radiofrequency safety limits specified by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) for 900 and 1800 MHz mobile phone type exposure and thus raises no cause for concern. The resultant temperature increase is well below the maximum rise of 1 degrees C recommended by ICNIRP. Effects in the cochlea were insignificant.     

Dosimetric analysis of the carousel setup for the exposure of rats at 1.62 GHz

The so-called carousel setup has been widely utilized for testing the hypotheses of adverse health effects on the central nervous system (CNS) due to mobile phone exposures in the frequency bands 800-900 MHz. The objectives of this article were to analyze the suitability of the setup for the upper mobile frequency range, i.e., 1.4-2 GHz, and to conduct a detailed experimental and numerical dosimetry for the setup at the IRIDIUM frequency band of 1.62 GHz. The setup consists of a plastic base on which ten rats, restrained in radially positioned tubes, are exposed to the electromagnetic field emanating from a sleeved dipole antenna at the center. Latest generation miniaturized dosimetric E field and temperature probes were used to measure the specific absorption rate (SAR) inside the brain of three rat cadavers of the Lewis strain and two rat cadavers of the Fisher 344 strain. A numerical analysis was conducted on the basis of three numerical rat phantoms with voxel sizes between 1.5 and 0.125 mm3 that are based on high resolution MRI scans of a 300 g male Wistar rat and a 370 g male Sprague-Dawley rat. The average of the assessed SAR values in the brain was 2.8 mW/g per W antenna input power for adult rats with masses between 220 and 350 g and 5.3 mW/g per W antenna input power for a juvenile rat with a mass of 95 g. The strong increase of the SAR in the brain with decreasing animal size was verified by simulations of the absorption in numerical phantoms scaled to sizes between 100 and 500 g with three different scaling methods. The study also demonstrated that current rat phantom models do not provide sufficient spatial resolution to perform absolute SAR assessment for the brain tissue. The variation of the SAR(brain)(av) due to changes in position was assessed to be in the range from +15% to -30%. A study on the dependence of the performance of the carousel setup on the frequency revealed that efficiency, defined as SAR(brain)(av) per W antenna input power, and the ratio between SAR(brain)(av) and SAR(body)(av) are optimal in the mobile communications frequency range, i.e., 0.8-3 GHz.     

Volume-averaged SAR in adult and child head models when using mobile phones: a computational study with detailed CAD-based models of commercial mobile phones

Previous studies comparing SAR difference in the head of children and adults used highly simplified generic models or half-wave dipole antennas. The objective of this study was to investigate the SAR difference in the head of children and adults using realistic EMF sources based on CAD models of commercial mobile phones. Four MRI-based head phantoms were used in the study. CAD models of Nokia 8310 and 6630 mobile phones were used as exposure sources. Commercially available FDTD software was used for the SAR calculations. SAR values were simulated at frequencies 900 MHz and 1747 MHz for Nokia 8310, and 900 MHz, 1747 MHz and 1950 MHz for Nokia 6630. The main finding of this study was that the SAR distribution/variation in the head models highly depends on the structure of the antenna and phone model, which suggests that the type of the exposure source is the main parameter in EMF exposure studies to be focused on. Although the previous findings regarding significant role of the anatomy of the head, phone position, frequency, local tissue inhomogeneity and tissue composition specifically in the exposed area on SAR difference were confirmed, the SAR values and SAR distributions caused by generic source models cannot be extrapolated to the real device exposures. The general conclusion is that from a volume averaged SAR point of view, no systematic differences between child and adult heads were found.     

Effect of SAR on human head modeling inside cylindrical enclosures

This study intends to discuss enclosed a realistic approach to determine and analyze the effects of radio frequency on human exposure inside a cylindrical enclosure. A scenario in which a mobile phone with inverted-F antenna (IFA) operating in the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) band (900 MHz) is used inside a cylindrical enclosure. Metallic enclosures are known to have resonance and reflection effects, thereby increasing electric field strength and hence resulting in a change of the human exposure to electromagnetic absorptions. So, this study examines and compares the levels of absorption in terms of specific absorption rate (SAR) values under various conditions. In this study, a human phantom with dielectric properties is designed and its interaction is studied with IFA inside fully enclosed cylindrical enclosures. The results show that SAR values are increased inside cylindrical enclosures compared with those in free space. The method of computation uses method of moments. Simulations are done in FEKO software.     

A numerical and experimental comparison of human head phantoms for compliance testing of mobile telephone equipment

A new human head phantom has been proposed by CENELEC/IEEE, based on a large scale anthropometric survey. This phantom is compared to a homogeneous Generic Head Phantom and three high resolution anatomical head models with respect to specific absorption rate (SAR) assessment. The head phantoms are exposed to the radiation of a generic mobile phone (GMP) with different antenna types and a commercial mobile phone. The phones are placed in the standardized testing positions and operate at 900 and 1800 MHz. The average peak SAR is evaluated using both experimental (DASY3 near field scanner) and numerical (FDTD simulations) techniques. The numerical and experimental results compare well and confirm that the applied SAR assessment methods constitute a conservative approach.     

New fin-line devices for radiofrequency exposure of small biological samples in vitro allowing whole-cell patch clamp recordings

The development and analysis of three waveguides for the exposure of small biological in vitro samples to mobile communication signals at 900 MHz (GSM, Global System for Mobile Communications), 1.8 GHz (GSM), and 2 GHz (UMTS, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) is presented. The waveguides were based on a fin‐line concept and the chamber containing the samples bathed in extracellular solution was placed onto two fins with a slot in between, where the exposure field concentrates. Measures were taken to allow for patch clamp recordings during radiofrequency (RF) exposure. The necessary power for the achievement of the maximum desired specific absorption rate (SAR) of 20 W/kg (average over the mass of the solution) was approximately P_in = 50 mW, P_in = 19 mW, and P_in = 18 mW for the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2 GHz devices, respectively. At 20 W/kg, a slight RF‐induced temperature elevation in the solution of no more than 0.3 °C was detected, while no thermal offsets due to the electromagnetic exposure could be detected at the lower SAR settings (2, 0.2, and 0.02 W/kg). A deviation of 10% from the intended solution volume yielded a calculated SAR deviation of 8% from the desired value. A maximum ±10% variation in the local SAR could occur when the position of the patch clamp electrode was altered within the area where the cells to be investigated were located. Bioelectromagnetics 32:102–112, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Effects of weak mobile phone - electromagnetic fields (GSM, UMTS) on well-being and resting EEG

Modern mobile phones emit electromagnetic fields (EMFs) ranging from 900 to 2000 MHz which are suggested to have an influence on well-being, attention and neurological parameters in mobile phone users. To date most studies have investigated Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)-EMF and only very few studies were concerned with Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)-EMF. Consequently, we tested the effects of both types of EMF, 1950 MHz UMTS (SAR 0.1 and 1 W/kg) and pulsed 900 MHz GSM (1 W/kg), on well-being and vigilance-controlled resting electroencephalogram (eyes closed) in 15 healthy, right-handed subjects. A double-blind, randomised, crossover application of the test procedure was used. Neither the UMTS- nor the GSM-EMF produced any significant changes in the measured parameters compared to sham exposure. The results do not give any evidence for a deleterious effect of the EMF on normal healthy mobile phone users.     

In vitro effect of pulsed 900 MHz GSM radiation on mitochondrial membrane potential and motility of human spermatozoa

Ejaculated, density purified, human spermatozoa were exposed to pulsed 900 MHz GSM mobile phone radiation at two specific absorption rate levels (SAR 2.0 and 5.7 W/kg) and compared with controls over time. Change in sperm mitochondrial membrane potential was analysed using flow cytometry. Sperm motility was determined by computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA). There was no effect of pulsed 900 MHz GSM radiation on mitochondrial membrane potential. This was also the case for all kinematic parameters assessed at a SAR of 2.0 W/kg. However, over time, the two kinematic parameters straight line velocity (VSL) and beat-cross frequency (BCF) were significantly impaired (P < 0.05) after the exposure at SAR 5.7 W/kg and no exposure by time interaction was present. This result should not be ascribed to thermal effects, due to the cooling methods employed in the RF chamber and temperature control within the incubator.     

Analysis of three-dimensional SAR distributions emitted by mobile phones in an epidemiological perspective

The three‐dimensional distribution of the specific absorption rate of energy (SAR) in phantom models was analysed to detect clusters of mobile phones producing similar spatial deposition of energy in the head. The clusters' characteristics were described from the phones external features, frequency band and communication protocol. Compliance measurements with phones in cheek and tilt positions, and on the left and right side of a physical phantom were used. Phones used the Personal Digital Cellular (PDC), Code division multiple access One (CdmaOne), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Nordic Mobile Telephony (NMT) communication systems, in the 800, 900, 1500 and 1800 MHz bands. Each phone's measurements were summarised by the half‐ellipsoid in which the SAR values were above half the maximum value. Cluster analysis used the Partitioning Around Medoids algorithm. The dissimilarity measure was based on the overlap of the ellipsoids, and the Manhattan distance was used for robustness analysis. Within the 800 MHz frequency band, and in part within the 900 MHz and the 1800 MHz frequency bands, weak clustering was obtained for the handset shape (bar phone, flip with top and flip with central antennas), but only in specific positions (tilt or cheek). On measurements of 120 phones, the three‐dimensional distribution of SAR in phantom models did not appear to be related to particular external phone characteristics or measurement characteristics, which could be used for refining the assessment of exposure to radiofrequency energy within the brain in epidemiological studies such as the Interphone. Bioelectromagnetics. Bioelectromagnetics 32:634–643, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Setup and dosimetry for exposing anaesthetised pigs in vivo to 900 MHz GSM mobile phone fields

The aim of this study was a dosimetrical analysis of the setup used in the exposure of the heads of domestic pigs to GSM-modulated radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) at 900 MHz. The heads of pigs were irradiated with a half wave dipole using three different exposure routines; short bursts of 1-3 s at two different exposure levels and a continuous 10-min exposure. The electroencephalogram (EEG) was registered continuously during the exposures to search for RF-EMF originated changes. The dosimetry was based on simulations with the anatomical heterogeneous numerical model of the pig head. The simulation results were validated by experimental measurements with the exposure dipole and a homogeneous liquid phantom resembling the pig head. The specific absorption rate (SAR), defined as a maximum average over 10 g tissue mass (SAR(10g)), was 7.3 W/kg for the first set of short bursts and 31 W/kg for the second set of short bursts. The SAR(10g) in the continuous 10-min exposure was 31 W/kg. The estimated uncertainty for the dosimetry was +/-25% (K = 2).     

Cognitive impairment in rats after long-term exposure to GSM-900 mobile phone radiation

Considering the frequent use of mobile phones, we have directed attention to possible implications on cognitive functions. In this study we investigated in a rat model the long-term effects of protracted exposure to Global System for Mobile Communication-900 MHz (GSM-900) radiation. Out of a total of 56 rats, 32 were exposed for 2 h each week for 55 weeks to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation at different SAR levels (0.6 and 60 mW/kg at the initiation of the experimental period) emitted by a (GSM-900) test phone. Sixteen animals were sham exposed and eight animals were cage controls, which never left the animal house. After this protracted exposure, GSM-900 exposed rats were compared to sham exposed controls. Effects on exploratory behaviour were evaluated in the open-field test, in which no difference was seen. Effects on cognitive functions were evaluated in the episodic-like memory test. In our study, GSM exposed rats had impaired memory for objects and their temporal order of presentation, compared to sham exposed controls (P = 0.02). Detecting the place in which an object was presented was not affected by GSM exposure. Our results suggest significantly reduced memory functions in rats after GSM microwave exposure (P = 0.02).     

No evidence of major transcriptional changes in the brain of mice exposed to 1800 MHz GSM signal

To analyze possible effects of microwaves on gene expression, mice were exposed to global system for mobile communication (GSM) 1800 MHz signal for 1 h at a whole body SAR of 1.1 W/kg. Gene expression was studied in the whole brain, where the average SAR was 0.2 W/kg, by expression microarrays containing over 22,600 probe sets. Comparison of data from sham and exposed animals showed no significant difference in gene expression modulation. However, when less stringent constraints were adopted to analyze microarray results, 75 genes were found to be modulated following exposure. Forty-two probes showed fold changes ranging from 1.5 to 2.8, whereas 33 were down-regulated from 0.67- to 0.29-fold changes, but these differences in gene expression were not confirmed by real-time PCR. Under these specific limited conditions, no consistent indication of gene expression modulation in whole mouse brain was found associated to GSM 1800 MHz exposure.     

Effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by GSM 900 and WCDMA mobile phones on cognitive function in young male subjects

Results of studies on the possible effects of electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones on cognitive functions are contradictory, therefore, possible effects of long‐term (7 h 15 min) electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure to handset‐like signals of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) 900 and Wideband Code‐Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) on attention and working memory were studied. The sample comprised 30 healthy male subjects (mean ± SD: 25.3 ± 2.6 years), who were tested on nine study days in which they were exposed to three exposure conditions (sham, GSM 900 and WCDMA) in a randomly assigned and balanced order. All tests were presented twice (morning and afternoon) on each study day within a fixed timeframe. Univariate comparisons revealed significant changes when subjects were exposed to GSM 900 compared to sham, only in the vigilance test. In the WCDMA exposure condition, one parameter in the vigilance and one in the test on divided attention were altered compared to sham. Performance in the selective attention test and the n‐back task was not affected by GSM 900 or WCDMA exposure. Time‐of‐day effects were evident for the tests on divided and selective attention, as well as for working memory. After correction for multiple testing, only time‐of‐day effects remained significant in two tests, resulting in faster reactions in the afternoon trials. The results of the present study do not provide any evidence of an EMF effect on human cognition, but they underline the necessity to control for time of day. Bioelectromagnetics 32:179–190, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

SAR measurement due to mobile phone exposure in a simulated biological media

The specific absorption rate (SAR) measurements are carried out for compliance testing of personal 3G Mobile phone. The accuracy of this experimental setup has been checked by comparing the SAR in 10?gm of simulated tissue and an arbitrary shaped box. This has been carried out using a 3G mobile Phone at 1718.5?MHz, in a medium simulating brain and muscle phantom. The SAR measurement system consists of a stepper motor to move a monopole E-field probe in two dimensions inside an arbitrary shaped box. The phantom is filled with appropriate frequency-specific fluids with measured electrical properties (dielectric constant and conductivity). That is close to the average for gray and white matters of the brain at the frequencies of interest (1718.5?MHz). Induced fields are measured using a specially designed monopole probe in its close vicinity. The probe is immersed in the phantom material. The measured data for induced fields are used to compute SAR values at various locations with respect to the mobile phone location. It is concluded that these SAR values are position dependent and well below the safety criteria prescribed for human exposure.     

SAR measurement due to mobile phone exposure in a simulated biological media

The specific absorption rate (SAR) measurements are carried out for compliance testing of personal 3G Mobile phone. The accuracy of this experimental setup has been checked by comparing the SAR in 10 gm of simulated tissue and an arbitrary shaped box. This has been carried out using a 3G mobile Phone at 1718.5 MHz, in a medium simulating brain and muscle phantom. The SAR measurement system consists of a stepper motor to move a monopole E-field probe in two dimensions inside an arbitrary shaped box. The phantom is filled with appropriate frequency-specific fluids with measured electrical properties (dielectric constant and conductivity). That is close to the average for gray and white matters of the brain at the frequencies of interest (1718.5 MHz). Induced fields are measured using a specially designed monopole probe in its close vicinity. The probe is immersed in the phantom material. The measured data for induced fields are used to compute SAR values at various locations with respect to the mobile phone location. It is concluded that these SAR values are position dependent and well below the safety criteria prescribed for human exposure.     

Specific absorption rate levels measured in a phantom head exposed to radio frequency transmissions from analog hand-held mobile phones

Electric fields (E-fields) induced within a phantom head from exposure to three different advanced mobile phone system (AMPS) hand-held telephones were measured using an implantable E-field probe. Measurements were taken in the eye nearest the phone and along a lateral scan through the brain from its centre to the side nearest the phone. During measurement, the phones were positioned alongside the phantom head as in typical use and were configured to transmit at maximum power (600 mW nominal). The specific absorption rate (SAR) was calculated from the in situ E-field measurements, which varied significantly between phone models and antenna configuration. The SARs induced in the eye ranged from 0.007 to 0.21 W/kg. Metal-framed spectacles enhanced SAR levels in the eye by 9–29%. In the brain, maximum levels were recorded at the measurement point closest to the phone and ranged from 0.12 to 0.83 W/kg. These SARs are below peak spatial limits recommended in the U.S. and Australian national standards [IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 28 (1991): C95.1-1991 and Standards Australia (1990): AS2772.1-1990] and the IRPA guidelines for safe exposure to radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields [IRPA (1988): Health Phys 54:115–123]. Furthermore, a detailed thermal analysis of the eye indicated only a 0.022°C maximum steady-state temperature rise in the eye from a uniform SAR loading of 0.21 W/kg. A more approximate thermal analysis in the brain also indicated only a small maximum temperature rise of 0.034°C for a local SAR loading of 0.83 W/kg. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.