Fine resolution calculations of SAR in the human body for frequencies up to 3 GHz

Abstract

Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations of whole-body averaged specific energy absorption rate (SAR) have been performed from 100 MHz to 3 GHz at the basic 2 mm resolution of the voxel (volume pixel) model NORMAN without any rescaling to larger cell sizes. The reduction in the voxel size from previous work allows SAR to be calculated at higher frequencies. Additionally, the calculations have been extended down to 10 MHz, covering the whole-body resonance regions at a resolution of 4 mm. As well as for the adult phantom, SAR values are calculated for scaled versions representing 10-, 5- and 1-year-old children for both grounded and isolated conditions. External electric field levels are derived from limits of whole-body averaged SAR and localized SAR in the ankle, and compared with NRPB investigation levels and ICNIRP reference levels. The ICNIRP field reference levels alone would not provide a conservative estimate of the localized SAR exposure in the leg for grounded conditions. It would be necessary to invoke the secondary reference level on limb current to provide compliance with basic restrictions on localized SAR averaged over 10 g.