IN 1974, the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) formed a working group on non-ionizing radiation (NIR), which examined the problems arising in the field of protection against the various types of NIR. At the IRPA Congress in Paris in 1977, this working group became the International Non-Ionizing Radiation Committee (INIRC). In cooperation with the Environmental Health Division of the World Health Organization (WHO), the IRPA/INIRC developed a number of health criteria documents on NIR as part of WHO’s Environmental Health Criteria Programme, sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Each document includes an overview of the physical characteristics, measurement and instrumentation, sources, and applications of NIR, a thorough review of the literature on biological effects, and an evaluation of the health risks of exposure to NIR. These health criteria have provided the scientific database for the subsequent development of exposure limits and codes of practice relating to NIR. At the Eighth International Congress of the IRPA (Montreal, 18–22 May 1992), a new, independent scientific organization—the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)—was established as a successor to the IRPA/INIRC. The functions of the Commission are to investigate the hazards that may be associated with the different forms of NIR, develop international guidelines on NIR exposure limits, and deal with all aspects of NIR protection. Biological effects reported as resulting from exposure to static and extremely-low-frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields have been reviewed by UNEP/ WHO/IRPA (1984, 1987). Those publications and a number of others, including UNEP/WHO/IRPA (1993) and Allen et al. (1991), provided the scientific rationale for these guidelines. A glossary of terms appears in the Appendix.

Guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields (up to 300 GHz)

IN THIS document, guidelines are established for the protection of humans exposed to electric and magnetic fields in the low-frequency range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The general principles for the development of ICNIRP guidelines are published elsewhere (ICNIRP 2002). For the purpose of this document, the low-frequency range extends from 1 Hz to 100 kHz. Above 100 kHz, effects such as heating need to be considered, which are covered by other ICNIRP guidelines. However, in the frequency range from 100 kHz up to approximately 10 MHz protection from both, low frequency effects on the nervous system as well as high frequency effects need to be considered depending on exposure conditions. Therefore, some guidance in this document is extended to 10 MHz to cover the nervous system effects in this frequency range. Guidelines for static magnetic fields have been issued in a separate document (ICNIRP 2009). Guidelines applicable to movement-induced electric fields or time-varying magnetic fields up to 1 Hz will be published separately. This publication replaces the low-frequency part of the 1998 guidelines (ICNIRP 1998). ICNIRP is currently revising the guidelines for the high-frequency portion of the spectrum (above 100 kHz).

ICNIRP Guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric and magnetic fields (1 Hz to 100 kHz).

Utilization of electromagnetic band-gap (EBG) structures is becoming attractive in the electromagnetic and antenna community. In this paper, a mushroom-like EBG structure is analyzed using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Its band-gap feature of surface-wave suppression is demonstrated by exhibiting the near field distributions of the electromagnetic waves. The mutual coupling of microstrip antennas is parametrically investigated, including both the E and H coupling directions, different substrate thickness, and various dielectric constants. It is observed that the E-plane coupled microstrip antenna array on a thick and high permittivity substrate has a strong mutual coupling due to the pronounced surface waves. Therefore, an EBG structure is inserted between array elements to reduce the mutual coupling. This idea has been verified by both the FDTD simulations and experimental results. As a result, a significant 8 dB mutual coupling reduction is noticed from the measurements.

/pdf/microstrip-antennas-integrated-with-electromagnetic-band-gap-1t2jb53z58.pdf

Microstrip antennas integrated with electromagnetic band-gap (EBG) structures: a low mutual coupling design for array applications

The development of microwave breast cancer detection and treatment techniques has been driven by reports of substantial contrast in the dielectric properties of malignant and normal breast tissues. However, definitive knowledge of the dielectric properties of normal and diseased breast tissues at microwave frequencies has been limited by gaps and discrepancies across previously published studies. To address these issues, we conducted a large-scale study to experimentally determine the ultrawideband microwave dielectric properties of a variety of normal, malignant and benign breast tissues, measured from 0.5 to 20 GHz using a precision open-ended coaxial probe. Previously, we reported the dielectric properties of normal breast tissue samples obtained from reduction surgeries. Here, we report the dielectric properties of normal (adipose, glandular and fibroconnective), malignant (invasive and non-invasive ductal and lobular carcinomas) and benign (fibroadenomas and cysts) breast tissue samples obtained from cancer surgeries. We fit a one-pole Cole-Cole model to the complex permittivity data set of each characterized sample. Our analyses show that the contrast in the microwave-frequency dielectric properties between malignant and normal adipose-dominated tissues in the breast is considerable, as large as 10:1, while the contrast in the microwave-frequency dielectric properties between malignant and normal glandular/fibroconnective tissues in the breast is no more than about 10%.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0031-9155/52/20/002/pdf

A large-scale study of the ultrawideband microwave dielectric properties of normal, benign and malignant breast tissues obtained from cancer surgeries

Carbon (C) is a crucial material for many branches of modern technology. A growing number of demanding applications in electronics and telecommunications rely on the unique properties of C allotropes. The need for microwave absorbers and radar-absorbing materials is ever growing in military applications (reduction of radar signature of aircraft, ships, tanks, and targets) as well as in civilian applications (reduction of electromagnetic interference among components and circuits, reduction of the back-radiation of microstrip radiators). Whatever the application for which the absorber is intended, weight reduction and optimization of the operating bandwidth are two important issues. A composite absorber that uses carbonaceous particles in combination with a polymer matrix offers a large flexibility for design and properties control, as the composite can be tuned and optimized via changes in both the carbonaceous inclusions (C black, C nanotube, C fiber, graphene) and the embedding matrix (rubber, thermoplastic). This paper offers a perspective on the experimental efforts toward the development of microwave absorbers composed of carbonaceous inclusions in a polymer matrix. The absorption properties of such composites can be tailored through changes in geometry, composition, morphology, and volume fraction of the filler particles. Polymercomposites filled with carbonaceous particles provide a versatile system to probe physical properties at the nanoscale of fundamental interest and of relevance to a wide range of potential applications that span radar absorption, electromagnetic protection from natural phenomena (lightning), shielding for particle accelerators in nuclear physics, nuclear electromagnetic pulse protection, electromagnetic compatibility for electronic devices, high-intensity radiated field protection, anechoic chambers, and human exposure mitigation. Carbonaceous particles are also relevant to future applications that require environmentally benign and mechanically flexible materials.

A review and analysis of microwave absorption in polymer composites filled with carbonaceous particles

The physical basis for breast tumor detection with microwave imaging is the contrast in dielectric properties of normal and malignant breast tissues. Confocal microwave imaging involves illuminating the breast with an ultra-wideband pulse from a number of antenna locations, then synthetically focusing reflections from the breast. The detection of malignant tumors is achieved by the coherent addition of returns from these strongly scattering objects. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of detecting and localizing small (<1 cm) tumors in three dimensions with numerical models of two system configurations involving synthetic cylindrical and planar antenna arrays. Image formation algorithms are developed to enhance tumor responses and reduce early- and late-time clutter. The early-time clutter consists of the incident pulse and reflections from the skin, while the late-time clutter is primarily due to the heterogeneity of breast tissue. Successful detection of 6-mm-diameter spherical tumors is achieved with both planar and cylindrical systems, and similar performance measures are obtained. The influences of the synthetic array size and position relative to the tumor are also explored.

/pdf/confocal-microwave-imaging-for-breast-cancer-detection-25zqf6ushm.pdf

Confocal microwave imaging for breast cancer detection: localization of tumors in three dimensions

This article outlines the main features of active, passive, and hybrid systems under investigation for breast cancer detection. Our main focus is on active microwave systems, in particular microwave tomography and confocal microwave imaging.

Enhancing breast tumor detection with near-field imaging

Breast cancer affects many women, and early detection aids in fast and effective treatment. Mammography, which is currently the most popular method of breast screening, has some limitations, and microwave imaging offers an attractive alternative. A microwave system for breast tumor detection that uses previously introduced confocal microwave imaging techniques is presented in this paper. The breast is illuminated with an ultrawide-band pulse and a synthetic scan of the focal point is used to detect tumors; however, the geometric configuration and algorithms are different from those previously used. The feasibility of using small antennas for tumor detection is investigated. Signal processing algorithms developed to mitigate the dominant reflection from the skin are described, and the effectiveness of these skin subtraction algorithms is demonstrated. Images of homogeneous and heterogeneous breast models are reconstructed with various numbers of antennas. Both the influence of antenna spacing and the suitability of simplified models for system evaluation are examined.

Microwave detection of breast cancer

Medical applications of RF/microwaves are highlighted in this paper. The emphasis is placed on newer emerging diagnostic and therapeutic applications, such as microwave breast cancer detection, and treatment with localized high power used in ablation of the heart, and liver, benign prostate hypertrophy, angioplasty, and others. A very brief outline of biological effects of RF/microwaves and associated issues is given as background to the applications.

Applications of RF/microwaves in medicine

Initial experimental verification of confocal microwave imaging for breast tumor detection is described. Simple phantoms, consisting of a PVC pipe and objects representing tumors, are scanned with resistively loaded monopole or horn antennas. Successful reduction of clutter and detection of a variety of two-dimensional objects is demonstrated.

Maria A. Stuchly

Papers

Confocal microwave imaging for breast cancer detection: localization of tumors in three dimensions

Enhancing breast tumor detection with near-field imaging

Microwave detection of breast cancer

Applications of RF/microwaves in medicine

Experimental feasibility study of confocal microwave imaging for breast tumor detection