Abstract
We consider the problem of inducing withdrawal reflex on a test subject by exposing the subject’s skin to an electromagnetic beam. Heat-sensitive nociceptors in the skin are activated wherever the temperature is above the activation temperature. Withdrawal reflex occurs when the activated volume reaches a threshold. We non-dimensionalize the problem to write the temperature as the product of a parameter-free function of non-dimensional variables and a function of beam parameters. This formulation allows studying beam parameters without knowing skin material parameters. We examine the effects of spot size, total power and distribution type of the electromagnetic beam on 3 quantities at reflex: 1) the time to reflex, 2) the maximum temperature increase, and 3) the total energy consumption. We find that the flat-top beam is the best, with the lowest energy consumption and the smallest maximum temperature increase. The Super-Gaussian beam is only slightly inferior to the flat-top. The Gaussian beam has by far the worst performance among these three.
Highlights
Electromagnetic beams have been employed in many applications which include airport security screening, medical imaging and non-lethal crowd control weapons [1] [2]
We examine the effects of spot size, total power and distribution type of the electromagnetic beam on 3 quantities at reflex: 1) the time to reflex, 2) the maximum temperature increase, and 3) the total energy consumption
We focus on how the beam radius, total power and distribution type of the electromagnetic beam affect the time to withdrawal reflex, the maximum temperature increase, and the total energy consumption
Summary
Electromagnetic beams have been employed in many applications which include airport security screening, medical imaging and non-lethal crowd control weapons [1] [2]. The interaction of the electromagnetic fields with the human body is dependent upon the power density, beam spot size, frequency and duration. When a high-powered microwave beam reaches a human subject, it quickly produces an intolerable heating sensation in the skin and compels the subject to withdraw from the beam [3]. In this paper we carry out non-dimensional analysis of thermal effect on skin caused by exposure to a stationary electromagnetic beam. We focus on how the beam radius, total power and distribution type of the electromagnetic beam affect the time to withdrawal reflex, the maximum temperature increase, and the total energy consumption. The theoretical results obtained in our study will help guide us to design safe, effective and efficient electromagnetic heating experiments
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