Effect of the meniscus at the solid/liquid interface on the SAR distribution in Petri dishes and flasks

• Published in: Bioelectromagnetics Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 103 - 108
• Main Authors: Schuderer, Jürgen, Kuster, Niels
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.02.2003
• Subjects: Cell Culture Techniques - instrumentation; Cell Culture Techniques - methods; Cells, Cultured - radiation effects; Computer Simulation; Culture Media - chemistry; Culture Media - radiation effects; dosimetry; Equipment Failure Analysis - methods; exposure setup; in vitro; meniscus; Microwaves; Models, Theoretical; Petri dish; Quality Control; radio frequency; Radio Waves; Radiometry - instrumentation; Radiometry - methods; Reproducibility of Results; SAR; Sensitivity and Specificity; Surface Properties
• ISSN: 0197-8462; 1521-186X
• DOI: 10.1002/bem.10066

Several authors have reported that the meniscus as occurring at the walls of Petri dishes and flasks (solid–liquid interface) can significantly affect the SAR distribution in the entire dish and flask, while others have ignored this effect. In this study, this effect has been comprehensively analyzed by numerical means supported by theoretical considerations. The focus is on E polarization, which results in the most homogeneous exposure for monolayer cell cultures and therefore is the most often applied polarization in exposure setups for risk assessment studies. This includes setups based on TEM cells, waveguides, radial transmission lines (RTL), and HF chambers. The conclusion of this study is that the meniscus and its size have a significant effect on the strength and homogeneity of the induced SAR distribution. Hence, the meniscus needs to be accounted for in the determination of the averaged SAR as well as in the uncertainty assessment. It has also been demonstrated that a voxel size of less than 0.2 mm is needed to predict the SAR values for a monolayer of cells accurately. Bioelectromagnetics 24:103–108, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.