Heating rate modeling and measurements in phantom and in vivo of the human upper extremity in a defective 2450 MHz microwave oven.
Journal Article
Multiple door interlock switches in commercial microwave ovens are designed to prevent accidental exposure and injury. We report a) heating rate (degree/sec) measurements in a phantom of the human upper extremity in a 2450 MHz microwave oven having interlock switches deliberately bypassed; b) skin temperature measurements on the upper extremity of a human volunteer similarly exposed; c) perception of warmth and pain experienced by the volunteer during exposure; d) thermographic camera recordings of the volunteer's skin; and e) finite element modeling of specific absorption rate (SAR) in the volunteer's hand. Moderately severe pain was experienced at the fingertips after 5 sec of exposure, consistent with the modeled SAR, measured heating rates, and published data on the temperature threshold for pain. We estimate that an additional 9 sec of exposure would be required to produce irreversible injury, consisting of focal thermal injury in the fingertips and possibly the thenar and hypothenar eminences.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Oleson, J; Samulski, T; Clegg, S; Das, S; Grant, W
Published Date
- 1994
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 29 / 2
Start / End Page
- 101 - 108
PubMed ID
- 8083785
Pubmed Central ID
- 8083785
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0832-7823
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1080/08327823.1994.11688237
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States