Microdosimetry and physiological effects of millimeter wave irradiation in isolated neural ganglion preparation

Possible effects of millimeter waves (MMWs) on biological objects becomes an increasingly important issue due to development of technologies for telecommunication, telemedicine and security/military applications operating at this extremely high radiofrequency band. Specifically, the safety limits of MMW irradiation of neuronal tissue need to be evaluated. In this study, we evaluated the thermal and physiological effects of MMWs on the neural ganglia isolated from the leech. The initial results indicate that low-intensity MMWs can partially suppress the neuronal activity at relatively low levels of applied MMW power density, with associated sub-1°C heating of the ganglion. Further studies are underway to determine if altered conductivity through the membrane channels might be responsible for the observed effects.