Physiological compatibility of wireless chargers for electric bicycles

The Inductive Power Transfer represents a viable solution of wireless battery charging for all users of electric mobility. This method brings some benefits to the electric vehicles, being a convenient technique, compared to the conventional wire-based battery charging. Among the electric vehicles, the electric bicycles particularly fit with this innovative method of battery charging. Nevertheless, the physiological effects of the produced magnetic fields need to be taken into account. In this paper, the design of an Inductive Power Transfer system for E-bike wireless battery charging is presented and the measurements concerning the surrounding magnetic field are provided in order to validat…

Unconditionally stable meshless integration of Maxwell's eqautions

Un solutore meshfree per EEG e MEG

Bio-electromagnetic Numerical Modeling for Health Diagnostics

The Method of Fundamental Solutions in Solving Coupled Boundary Value Problems for M/EEG

The estimation of neuronal activity in the human brain from electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals is a typical inverse problem whose solution pro- cess requires an accurate and fast forward solver. In this paper the method of fundamental solutions is, for the first time, proposed as a meshfree, boundary-type, and easy-to-implement alternative to the boundary element method (BEM) for solving the M/EEG forward problem. The solution of the forward problem is obtained by numerically solving a set of coupled boundary value problems for the three-dimensional Laplace equation. Numerical accuracy, convergence, and computational load are investigated. The proposed met…

A numerical method for imaging of biological microstructures by VHF waves

Imaging techniques give a fundamental support to medical diagnostics during the pathology discovery as well as for the characterization of biological structures. The imaging methods involve electromagnetic waves in a frequency range that spans from some Hz to GHz and over. Most of these methods involve scanning of wide human body areas even if only small areas need to be analyzed. In this paper, a numerical method to evaluate the shape of micro-structures for application in the medical field, with a very low invasiveness for the human body, is proposed. A flexible thin-wire antenna radiates the VHF waves and then, by measuring the spatial magnetic field distribution it is possible to recons…

A novel numerical meshless approach for electric potential estimation in transcranial stimulation

In this paper, a first application of the method of fundamental solutions in estimating the electric potential and the spatial current density distribution in the brain due to transcranial stimulation, is presented. The coupled boundary value p roblems for the electric potential are solved in a meshless way, so avoiding the use of grid based numerical methods. A multi-spherical geometry is considered and numerical results are discussed.

Numerical solution of electric field integral equation for thin-wire piecewise antennas shape reconstruction

Numerical modelling for EM-Fields and biosystems interactions

In this paper the electromagnetic fields related to the current sources in the human brain are investigated by means of the quasi-stationary approximation. The knowledge of these fields are of great interest to understand the human brain activity regions. By considering the current density produced by neural activity and because no current could ow out of the skull, the numerical model describing the problem can be fully defined. The current sources are simulated as current dipoles into an homogeneous sphere proceeding in the computation by solving the Poissons equation with Neumann boundary conditions. Numerical results relating to a spherical head representation are proposed by considerin…

Numerical modelling of electromagnetic sources by integral formulation

Analysis of electromagnetic (EM) transients can be carried out by employing a eld approach in frequency domain, based on an appropriate integral equation. This approach is a powerful method for the analysis of EM antennas and scatterers. Recent work by the authors in modeling electromagnetic scattering in frequency domain are summarized. Thin-wire electric eld integral equation has been handled and possible application in obtaining sources localization information are discussed. Moments method (MoM) is used and time domain analysis is also carried out by discrete Fourier transform. Di erent approaches have been considered by using direct MoM formulation. Simulation results obtained both via…

A Meshfree Solver for the MEG Forward Problem

Noninvasive estimation of brain activity via magnetoencephalography (MEG) involves an inverse problem whose solution requires an accurate and fast forward solver. To this end, we propose the Method of Fundamental Solutions (MFS) as a meshfree alternative to the Boundary Element Method (BEM). The solution of the MEG forward problem is obtained, via the Method of Particular Solutions (MPS), by numerically solving a boundary value problem for the electric scalar potential, derived from the quasi-stationary approximation of Maxwell’s equations. The magnetic field is then computed by the Biot-Savart law. Numerical experiments have been carried out in a realistic single-shell head geometry. The p…

Attenuation of low frequency magnetic fields produced by HV underground power cables

High-voltage underground cable systems are becoming more common as the demand for electrical power within urban centers increase, also considering the difficulties in building new overhead power lines in the vicinity of city centers because of authorization issues. Therefore, interest towards the evaluation of magnetic fields produced by high-voltage power lines has been triggered during the last decade and concern about effects on human health of exposure to extra low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields due to power lines has been increasing as well. Hence, the evaluation of the magnetic field produced by underground power cables is important in order to develop methods for mitigating their in…

An augmented MFS approach for brain activity reconstruction

Abstract Weak electrical currents in the brain flow as a consequence of acquisition, processing and transmission of information by neurons, giving rise to electric and magnetic fields, which can be modeled by the quasi-stationary approximation of Maxwell’s equations. Electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) techniques allow for reconstructing the cerebral electrical currents and thus investigating the neuronal activity in the human brain in a non-invasive way. This is a typical electromagnetic inverse problem which can be addressed in two stages. In the first one a physical and geometrical representation of the head is used to find the relation between a given source mo…

UN SOLUTORE MESHFREE PER M/EEG

Mitigation of 50 Hz magnetic field produced by an overhead transmission line

Power transmission utilities are challenged by the need to expand transmission system capacity to meet growing energy demands. The impact of high voltage overhead transmission lines on the environment represents a hot topic in the context of transport and distribution of electrical energy. In particular, interest towards the effects of extra low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields generated by high-voltage power transmission lines has been increasing significantly during the last decade, giving rise to a number of policy initiatives and research activities. Therefore, the evaluation of the magnetic field generated by conductors of overhead lines is of primary importance in order to develop meth…

STIMA DEL POTENZIALE ELETTRICO IN tDCS CON APPROCCIO MESHLESS INNOVATIVO

Transcranial DC stimulation (transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, tDCS) is a non-invasive technique aimed at modifying neuronal activity for the purpose therapeutic and / or for the improvement of mental performance. A continuous current of entity modest (below the threshold of perception) is injected into the brain via electrodes placed on the scalp surface to produce changes in long-term cortical activity. Despite the increasing use of this and other similar techniques, and the relevant ones applications - for example in the field of neuropsychological rehabilitation - their impact on neuronal activity is not yet fully known, mainly due to the difficulty of predict the spatial distrib…

An Improved Solver for the M/EEG Forward Problem

Noninvasive investigation of the brain activity via electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) involves a typical inverse problem whose solution process requires an accurate and fast forward solver. We propose the Method of Fundamental Solutions (MFS) as a truly meshfree alternative to the Boundary Element Method (BEM) for solving the M/EEG forward problem. The solution of the forward problem is obtained, via the Method of Particular Solutions (MPS), by numerically solving a set of coupled boundary value problems for the 3D Laplace equation. Numerical accuracy and computational load are investigated for spherical geometries and comparisons with a state-of-the-art BEM solv…

A meshfree approach for brain activity source modeling

Weak electrical currents in the brain flow as a consequence of acquisition, processing and transmission of information by neurons, giving raise to electric and magnetic fields, which are representable by means of quasi-stationary approximation of the Maxwell’s equations. Measurements of electric scalar potential differences at the scalp and magnetic fields near the head constitute the input data for, respectively, electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencepharography (MEG), which allow for reconstructing the cerebral electrical currents and thus investigating the neuronal activity in the human brain in a non-invasive way. This is a typical erectromagnetic inverse problem, since measuremen…

Review of acoustic methods for space charge measurement

In the last decade, due to the increased use of direct current, the space charge accumulation phenomenon has reached more interest. In this regard, several non-destructive measurement systems were used. In particular, for solid dielectrics, the acoustic methods have had greater success. This review presents a brief historical evolution of the Pulse Electro- Acoustic (PEA) method, describing the working operation, the thicknesses analyzed and the spatial resolution for the different configurations of the PEA cell. The Pressure Wave Propagation (PWP) method in both configurations Piezo-PWP and Laser Induced Pressure Pulse (LIPP) is also described.

IMAGING DI CANALI SOTTILI PER APPLICAZIONI BIO-MEDICALI

Unconditionally stable meshless integration of time-domain Maxwell’s curl equations

Grid based methods coupled with an explicit approach for the evolution in time are traditionally adopted in solving PDEs in computational electromagnetics. The discretization in space with a grid covering the problem domain and a stability step size restriction, must be accepted. Evidence is given that efforts need for overcoming these heavy constraints. The connectivity laws among the points scattered in the problem domain can be avoided by using meshless methods. Among these, the smoothed particle electromagnetics, gives an interesting answer to the problem, overcoming the limit of the grid generation. In the original formulation an explicit integration scheme is used providing, spatial a…

UN SOLUTORE MESHFREE PER EEG/MEG

M/EEG Forward Model Computation Via Source-Adaptive Meshless Solving

IL METODO DELLE SOLUZIONI FONDAMENTALI PER LA SOLUZIONE DEL PROBLEMA DIRETTO M/EEG

The research already started on the mesh-free solution of the M / EEG direct problem has led to the development of a solver based on the method of fundamental solutions (MFS, method of fundamental solutions) able to manage the physical-geometric complexity of realistic models of the head more efficiently than traditional.

Beyond the BEM Solution of the M/EEG Forward Problem: a Meshfree Approach

Studi numerici per la magnetoencefalografia

Non-invasive imaging of biological microstructures by VHF waves

A Meshfree Boundary Method for M/EEG Forward Computations

A numerical method for imaging of biological microstructures by VHF waves

Imaging techniques give a fundamental support to medical diagnostics during the pathology discovery as well as for the characterization of bio-medical structures. The imaging methods involve electromagnetic waves in a frequency range that spans from some Hz to GHz and over. Most of these methods involve ionizing waves and scanning of a large human body area even if only a focused inspection is needed. In this paper, a numerical method to evaluate the shape of microstructures for application in the medical field, with a very low invasiveness for the human body, is proposed. In particular, the tooth’s root canal is considered. In fact, this is one of the hot topics in the endodontic procedure…