Numerical and Experimental Millimeter-Wave Dosimetry for In Vitro Experiments

This paper provides extensive dosimetry data for in vitro experiments regarding the biological effects of millimeter waves. Two particular frequency ranges have been considered, which are: (1) the 57-64-GHz frequency range dedicated to near-future applications in high-speed wireless communication systems and (2) the discrete frequencies used in millimeter-wave therapy, namely, 42.25, 53.57, and 61.22 GHz. The dielectric properties of keratinocyte cells and culture media were determined using permittivity data of free water and Maxwell´s mixture equation. The local specific absorption rate (SAR) distribution within the cell monolayer located in a standard tissue culture plate was computed using the finite-element method and the finite-integration technique. The averaged near-surface SAR for the cell monolayer was determined using both numerical electric-field-based and experimental temperature-based approaches. The SAR was computed taking into account physiological variations of the water content in the keratinocyte cells, as well as variations in the cell monolayer thickness. Experimental and computational results are shown to be in very good agreement.