Models - Rf.sar in Human Head
Models - Rf.sar in Human Head
This model is licensed under the COMSOL Software License Agreement 5.4.
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Introduction
Scientists use the SAR (specific absorption rate) to determine the amount of radiation that
human tissue absorbs. This measurement is especially important for mobile telephones,
which radiate close to the brain. The model studies how a human head absorbs a radiated
wave from an antenna and the temperature increase that the absorbed radiation causes.
Note: This example requires the RF Module and the Heat Transfer Module.
The increasing use of wireless equipment has also increased the amount of radiation energy
to which human bodies are exposed, and it is particularly important to avoid radiation into
the brain. Experts continue to debate how dangerous this radiation might be. Almost
everyone agrees, however, that it is important to minimize exposure to radiation. A
common property that measures absorbed energy is the SAR value, calculated as
2
E
E SAR = σ ----------
ρ
where σ is the conductivity of human brain tissue, ρ is the density, and |E| is the norm of
the electric field. The SAR value is an average over a region of either 10 g or 1 g of brain
tissue, depending on national rules. This example does not calculate the average value and
so it refers to the local SAR value. The maximum local SAR value is always higher than the
maximum SAR value.
Model Definition
The human head geometry is the same geometry (SAM Phantom) provided by IEEE,
IEC, and CENELEC from their standard specification of SAR value measurements. The
original geometry was imported into COMSOL Multiphysics after minor adjustments of
the original geometry.
In addition, the model samples some material parameters with a volumetric interpolation
function that estimates the variation of tissue type inside the head. The source data for this
function comes directly from a file named sar_in_human_head_interp.txt. That data
file was created from a magnetic-resonance image (MRI) of a human head; these images
contain 109 slices, each with 256-by-256 voxels (Ref. 2). The use of the variation of the
data in this file on the tissue material parameters has no scientific background, and this
example simply implements it to illustrate a variation in conductivity, permittivity (Figure
Figure 1: This plot shows how the average relative permittivity varies inside the head. The
permittivity is calculated from the imported MRI image data.
WAVE PROPAGATION
The radiation comes from a patch antenna placed on the left side of the head. The patch
antenna is excited by a lumped port. To absorb the scattered radiation, the model makes
use of PML; see Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) in the RF Module User’s Guide. The
model solves the vector-Helmholtz equation everywhere in the domain for a certain
frequency
1 2
∇ × ----- ∇ × E – k 0 ε r E = 0
μr
where μr is the relative permeability, k0 is the free-space wave vector, and εr is the
permittivity.
This example takes material properties for the human brain from a presentation by
G. Schmid (Ref. 1). The following table reviews some important frequency-dependent
properties in this publication. The interpolation function samples these values to create a
realistic variation.
The same interpolation function used for the electric parameters also models the difference
in perfusion rate between the brain tissue inside the head and the outer parts of skin and
Figure 3: The local increase in temperature at the surface has the maximum right beneath the
antenna.
References
1. G. Schmid, G. Neubauer, and P.R. Mazal, “Dielectric properties of human brain tissue
measured less than 10 h postmortem at frequencies from 800 to 2450 MHz,”
Bioelectromagnetics, vol. 24, pp 423–430, 2003.
2. M. Levoy, MRI data originally from Univ. of North Carolina (downloaded from the
Stanford volume data archive at http://graphics.stanford.edu/data/voldata/).
NEW
In the New window, click Model Wizard.
MODEL WIZARD
1 In the Model Wizard window, click 3D.
2 In the Select Physics tree, select Heat Transfer>Bioheat Transfer (ht).
3 Click Add.
4 In the Temperature text field, type dT.
5 In the Select Physics tree, select Radio Frequency>Electromagnetic Waves,
Frequency Domain (emw).
6 Click Add.
Wait adding the study until the multiphysics coupling has been added. Then the study
sequence will be automatically configured for the right interfaces.
7 Click Done.
GLOBAL DEFINITIONS
1 In the Model Builder window, under Global Definitions click Parameters 1.
2 In the Settings window for Parameters, locate the Parameters section.
3 In the table, enter the following settings:
GEOMETRY 1
The head geometry has been created outside COMSOL Multiphysics, so you import it
from an MPHBIN-file. Then create the surrounding domains of PML, air, and antenna
manually.
Import 1 (imp1)
1 In the Home toolbar, click Import.
2 In the Settings window for Import, locate the Import section.
3 Click Browse.
4 Browse to the model’s Application Libraries folder and double-click the file
sar_in_human_head.mphbin.
5 Click Import.
Block 1 (blk1)
1 In the Geometry toolbar, click Block.
2 In the Settings window for Block, locate the Size and Shape section.
3 In the Width text field, type 0.004.
4 In the Depth text field, type 0.08.
5 In the Height text field, type 0.08.
6 Locate the Position section. From the Base list, choose Center.
7 In the x text field, type 0.1.
8 In the z text field, type 0.05.
9 Click Build All Objects.
Sphere 1 (sph1)
1 In the Geometry toolbar, click Sphere.
2 In the Settings window for Sphere, locate the Size section.
View 4
1 In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 (comp1) right-click Definitions and
choose View.
2 In the Settings window for View, click to expand the Transparency section.
3 Select the Transparency check box.
Rotate the geometry to get a good view.
4 In the Model Builder window, click View 4.
5 In the Settings window for View, locate the View section.
6 Select the Lock camera check box.
This action locks the camera settings you just applied for this View node. Suppress some
of the boundaries to simplify the domain selection.
Explicit 1
1 In the Definitions toolbar, click Explicit.
2 In the Settings window for Explicit, type PML in the Label text field.
3 Click the Go to View 1 button in the Graphics toolbar.
4 Select Domains 1–4 and 7–10 only.
Explicit 2
1 In the Definitions toolbar, click Explicit.
2 In the Settings window for Explicit, type Head in the Label text field.
3 Click the Go to View 4 button in the Graphics toolbar.
4 Select Domain 6 only.
Interpolation 1 (int1)
1 In the Definitions toolbar, click Interpolation.
2 In the Settings window for Interpolation, locate the Definition section.
3 From the Data source list, choose File.
4 Click Browse.
5 Browse to the model’s Application Libraries folder and double-click the file
sar_in_human_head_interp.txt.
6 Click Import.
7 Find the Functions subsection. In the table, enter the following settings:
Variables 1
1 In the Definitions toolbar, click Local Variables.
2 In the Settings window for Variables, locate the Geometric Entity Selection section.
3 From the Geometric entity level list, choose Domain.
4 From the Selection list, choose Head.
5 Locate the Variables section. In the table, enter the following settings:
MATERIALS
Material 1 (mat1)
1 In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 (comp1) right-click Materials and
choose Blank Material.
2 In the Settings window for Material, locate the Geometric Entity Selection section.
3 From the Selection list, choose PCB.
4 Locate the Material Contents section. In the table, enter the following settings:
Material 2 (mat2)
1 Right-click Materials and choose Blank Material.
2 In the Settings window for Material, locate the Geometric Entity Selection section.
3 From the Selection list, choose Head.
4 Locate the Material Contents section. In the table, enter the following settings:
ADD MATERIAL
1 In the Home toolbar, click Add Material to open the Add Material window.
2 Go to the Add Material window.
3 In the tree, select Built-In>Air.
4 Click Add to Component in the window toolbar.
5 In the Home toolbar, click Add Material to close the Add Material window.
MATERIALS
Air (mat3)
Select Domains 1–5 and 7–10 only.
Bioheat 1
1 In the Model Builder window, expand the Biological Tissue 1 node, then click Bioheat 1.
2 In the Settings window for Bioheat, locate the Bioheat section.
3 In the ρb text field, type rho_blood.
4 In the Cp, b text field, type c_blood.
5 In the ωb text field, type omega_head.
6 In the Tb text field, type 0.
DEFINITIONS
MESH 1
Use the free meshing for the head, the patch, and surrounding air. For the PML regions,
use swept meshing. This gives more control of the mesh resolution in the absorbing
direction, which is crucial to get convergence with iterative solvers.
Free Triangular 1
1 In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 (comp1) right-click Mesh 1 and choose
More Operations>Free Triangular.
2 In the Settings window for Free Triangular, locate the Boundary Selection section.
3 From the Selection list, choose PML_boundary.
Swept 1
1 In the Model Builder window, right-click Mesh 1 and choose Swept.
2 In the Settings window for Swept, locate the Domain Selection section.
3 From the Geometric entity level list, choose Domain.
4 From the Selection list, choose PML.
5 Click to expand the Source Faces section. From the Selection list, choose PML_boundary.
Distribution 1
1 Right-click Component 1 (comp1)>Mesh 1>Swept 1 and choose Distribution.
2 Click Build Selected.
Size 1
1 In the Model Builder window, right-click Mesh 1 and choose Free Tetrahedral.
2 Right-click Free Tetrahedral 1 and choose Size.
3 In the Settings window for Size, locate the Geometric Entity Selection section.
4 From the Geometric entity level list, choose Edge.
5 Select Edges 81–84, 86, 87, and 89–91 only.
Size 2
1 Right-click Free Tetrahedral 1 and choose Size.
2 In the Settings window for Size, locate the Geometric Entity Selection section.
3 From the Geometric entity level list, choose Domain.
4 Select Domain 6 only.
5 Locate the Element Size section. From the Predefined list, choose Extra fine.
6 Click Build All.
MULTIPHYSICS
ADD STUDY
Now, add a Sequential Frequency-Stationary study sequence that adds a Frequency Domain
study for the electromagnetic part and a Stationary study for the heat transfer part.
1 In the Home toolbar, click Add Study to open the Add Study window.
2 Go to the Add Study window.
3 Find the Studies subsection. In the Select Study tree, select
Preset Studies for Selected Multiphysics>Sequential Frequency-Stationary.
4 Click Add Study in the window toolbar.
STUDY 1
Solution 1 (sol1)
1 In the Model Builder window, expand the Solution 1 (sol1) node.
Solve the heat transfer equation only in the head domain. For this fairly small problem,
use a direct solver for faster convergence.
2 In the Model Builder window, expand the Study 1>Solver Configurations>
Solution 1 (sol1)>Stationary Solver 2 node.
3 Right-click Direct and choose Enable.
4 In the Study toolbar, click Compute.
RESULTS
Temperature (ht)
The first default plot group shows the temperature field as a surface plot. Follow the
instructions below to reproduce Figure 3.
View 3D 5
1 In the Model Builder window, under Results right-click Views and choose View 3D.
2 In the Settings window for View 3D, locate the View section.
3 Clear the Show grid check box.
4 Click to expand the Light section. Clear the Scene light check box.
5 Click the Go to YZ View button in the Graphics toolbar.
6 Click the Zoom Box button in the Graphics toolbar and then use the mouse to zoom in.
7 Locate the View section. Select the Lock camera check box.
Temperature (ht)
1 In the Model Builder window, under Results click Temperature (ht).
2 In the Settings window for 3D Plot Group, locate the Plot Settings section.
3 From the View list, choose View 3D 5.
4 In the Temperature (ht) toolbar, click Plot.
1 In the Model Builder window, under Results click Electric Field (emw).
2 In the Settings window for 3D Plot Group, type Specific Absorption Rate (emw) in
the Label text field.
3 Locate the Plot Settings section. Clear the Plot data set edges check box.
Multislice
In the Model Builder window, expand the Results>Specific Absorption Rate (emw) node.
Slice 1
1 Right-click Multislice and choose Delete.
2 In the Model Builder window, under Results right-click Specific Absorption Rate (emw)
and choose Slice.
3 In the Settings window for Slice, locate the Expression section.
4 In the Expression text field, type log10(dSAR).
View 3D 6
1 In the Model Builder window, under Results right-click Views and choose View 3D.
2 In the Settings window for View 3D, locate the Light section.
3 Clear the Scene light check box.
4 Locate the View section. Clear the Show grid check box.
5 Click the Go to Default View button in the Graphics toolbar.
6 Rotate the geometry to see the slices.
7 Select the Lock camera check box.
3D Plot Group 4
1 In the Home toolbar, click Add Plot Group and choose 3D Plot Group.
2 In the Settings window for 3D Plot Group, type Relative Permittivity, Average
(emw) in the Label text field.
Volume 1
1 Right-click Relative Permittivity, Average (emw) and choose Volume.
2 In the Settings window for Volume, locate the Expression section.
3 In the Expression text field, type emw.epsrAv.
4 Locate the Coloring and Style section. From the Color table list, choose AuroraBorealis.
Selection 1
1 Right-click Results>Relative Permittivity, Average (emw)>Volume 1 and choose Selection.
2 Select Domain 6 only.
Filter 1
1 Right-click Volume 1 and choose Filter.