Comments on the FCC approval of finite element method for biomedical transmitters

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled on February 1
^st
2011 that the finite element method (FEM) is a valid technique to simulate transmitters that are placed inside, on the surface, or near the human body. This paper investigates how FEM can be employed on biomedical engineering. A complete high fidelity human body model including frequency dependent materials and complex geometries was used. Three examples are described including a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, a human body on a substation environment and specific absorption rate (SAR) simulations on a human head due to a cell phone radiation. Advanced multiphysics technology coupling electromagnetic and thermal simulations are also addressed. A very good agreement between FEM simulations and measurement data was achieved for SAR calculations.