Distortion of millimeter-wave absorption in biological media due to presence of thermocouples and other objects

Specific absorption rate (SAR) distributions in the vicinity of a thermocouple or air bubble in water and in the presence of hair or sweat duct in skin were calculated using analytical and two-dimensional impedance methods. The objects were exposed to uniform 42.25 GHz plane electromagnetic fields. Insertion of a 0.1-mm thermocouple or similarly sized air bubble into water produced a strong localized disturbance of the otherwise uniform SAR distribution. However, the average of SAR values immediately surrounding the thermocouple was close to the undisturbed uniform average SAR. This allows measuring the average SAR during exposure of both unbounded and bounded media using calibrated small thermocouples (up to 0.1 mm). The SAR distribution in the vicinity of a hair was qualitatively similar to that produced by an air bubble. The maximal value of SAR was more than 3 times higher than the overall average SAR value in the skin. Sweat ducts produced a smaller disturbance of the millimeter-wave (mm-wave) field.