Application of

Electromagnetic
Field
Roll no: F16(044)
 Introduction
An electromagnetic field (also EMF or EM field) is a
physical field produced by electrically charged objects.
It affects the behavior of charged objects in the vicinity
of the field. The electromagnetic field extends
indefinitely throughout space and describes
the electromagnetic interaction.
Applications
Electromagnetic fields (EMF) of lower frequencies up
to 200 MHz are commonly used in medicine for
diagnosis and therapy.
Three main EMF applications in medicine are:
1. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI),
2. Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
3. Diathermy
 MRI
MRI produces three different fields to generate
images:
(1) a static magnetic field of zero frequency
(2) low power time-varying magnetic field gradients
(100 Hz to 1 kHz)
(3) RF fields (10 to 400 MHz)
 RFA
RF ablation is a minimally invasive medical procedure
that destroys tumours and unhealthy tissue in heart
muscle by thermal means from RF. Complications to
patients, which may arise due to non-target thermal
damage, are usually reversible. We found no studies of
occupational health risks for workers administering RF
ablation.
 Diathermy
Diathermy is used in physiotherapy to heat surface or
deep tissue to relieve joint and muscular problems.
Although female physiotherapists have been found to
be at a slight increased risk for heart disease, these
may be relevant only to the older practice of
microwave diathermy rather than the more current
common use of shortwave diathermy.
 References
 1. Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA).
Device bulletin - Safety guidelines for magnetic
resonance imaging equipment in clinical use. London,
UK: Department of Health; 2007. Available from:
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/dtsiac/docum
ents/publication/con2033065.pd