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INDUSTRIAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL ASPECTS OF MICROWAVE RADIATION

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A. F. Harvey · 1960

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1960 technical review of microwave radiation's industrial, biological and medical aspects, including hazards for workers in intense fields and methods of protection.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This 1960 technical review by A. F. Harvey examined microwave radiation's industrial applications, its effects on biological tissues and living animals, and the hazards for people who must work in positions of intense microwave fields. The paper takes the form of a factual outline, since accurate measurements have been inadequate and reliable conclusions cannot be drawn.

Why This Matters

This 1960 review is an early assessment of microwave radiation's broad aspects, covering everything from industrial heating processes to the effect of microwave radiation on biological tissues and living animals. It notes that the effect of intense microwave radiation on living animals depends upon the circulation of blood, and that the short- and long-term effects concern humans who must work in positions of intense microwave fields.

The review states that accurate measurements have been inadequate, so reliable conclusions cannot be drawn. Methods of reducing hazards for workers involve instrumentation for measurement of the radiation intensity and adoption of efficient methods of protection.

Figures from the Original Paper

Diagrams extracted from the original research document.

diagramPage 3 - AI-described figure: Fig. 1 illustrates methods of gluing wood by dielectric heating, showing both edgewise gluing and beam heating with a focusing horn.
p. 3 of the original PDF
diagramPage 4 - Figure 2 illustrates dielectric heating methods for thin films and threads, showing types of fringe-field heating and waveguide heating.
p. 4 of the original PDF
chartPage 5 - AI-described figure: Heat-exchange characteristics of animals at different body temperature rises in dogs and rabbits.
p. 5 of the original PDF
graphPage 6 - AI-described figure: Fig. 4 - Effects of microwave irradiation on eye temperature and opacity formation at 2-45 Gc/s.
p. 6 of the original PDF
chartPage 7 - AI-described figure: Figure 5 illustrates absorption of microwave energy by different tissues in the body as a function of fat thickness at various power levels.
p. 7 of the original PDF
Cite This Study
A. F. Harvey (1960). INDUSTRIAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL ASPECTS OF MICROWAVE RADIATION.
Show BibTeX
@article{industrial_biological_and_medical_aspects_of_microwave_radiation_g3595,
  author = {A. F. Harvey},
  title = {INDUSTRIAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL ASPECTS OF MICROWAVE RADIATION},
  year = {1960},
  
  
}
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Quick Questions About This Study

The review described the industrial applications of microwave heating processes. Dielectric heating forms the basis of industrial manufacturing processes and the defrosting or cooking of foods.
Accurate measurements have been inadequate, so reliable conclusions cannot be drawn. The paper takes the form of a factual outline with occasional detail to illustrate the problems involved.
Methods of reducing hazards involve instrumentation for measurement of the radiation intensity and adoption of efficient methods of protection.
A. F. Harvey wrote the review as Institution of Electrical Engineers Paper No. 3315, dated Nov. 1960. The paper was first received on 12th October, 1959, and revised in 1960.
The review examined the effect of microwave radiation on biological tissues and living animals. The effect of intense microwave radiation on living animals depends upon the circulation of blood, so investigations must be made on tissues with and without blood vessels.