Development of Anatomically Realistic Whole-Body Models of Children and their Use in Electromagnetic Dosimetry

Abstract

Recently, there has been an increased concern regarding the effects of electromagnetic radiation emanating from wireless communication devices on the health of children. In order to determine safe levels of exposure, we intend to use computer simulations and numerical human models to estimate the specific absorption rate (SAR) in young children. However, only a few of the existing numerical models of young children are of the same quality and resolution as anatomically realistic adult models. Therefore, for accurate dosimetry in young children, we have developed anatomically realistic whole-body models using MRI data obtained from healthy three- and seven-year-old volunteers. Our model has a resolution of approximately 2 mm and is segmented into approximately 50 tissues and organs. First, we performed semiautomatic approximate segmentation using an image segmentation tool. Then, detailed segmentation was manually performed by health professionals. Finally, the positions and shapes of the segmented tissues were verified by a pediatric radiologist. The quality of our models is equal to or higher than that of adult models. Our models can be used to perform highly precise numerical simulations for studies on children. In this paper, we also present the basic SAR characteristics of our models at VHF/UHF frequencies.