Abstract

Overview

Extreme broadband wireless devices operating above 10 GHz may transmit data in bursts of a few milliseconds to seconds. This paper presents a novel analytical approach to assess potential thermal effects caused by such transmissions in human skin.

Findings

• The study introduces a new method to analyze the peak-to-average temperature ratio as a function of the pulse fraction α, considering various thermal time constants.
• Despite adherence to power density values within international safety limits, burst transmissions could cause short temperature spikes potentially leading to tissue damage.
• The use of a CEM43 tissue damage model indicates that significant temperature oscillations can occur without surpassing tissue damage thresholds if managed correctly.
• Applying safety factors of 10 for occupational exposure and 50 for the general public as current guidelines recommend, might still pose risks at very low peak-to-average ratios, suggesting a need for guideline reassessment.

Conclusion

The study suggests that existing safety limits might be insufficient for preventing tissue damage with new 5G technologies, and calls for an update in the exposure guidelines to ensure public safety.