Chair of applied electromagnetics

group leader

prof. Antonio Šarolić, PhD

associates

prof. emer. Vesna Roje, PhD
Anđela Matković, PhD

Research topics

  1. Measurement of dielectric properties of tissues, including the human tissues, with the ethical approval issued by University Hospital Centre Zagreb specifically to this project (“M-BEM”).
  2. Study of interactions of biological material (cell, tissue, organism) with EM stimuli, which can be a side effect of technical systems in the human environment (e.g. communication systems), but also intentionally induced stimuli for use in biomedicine (stimulation, intentional exposure to the field)
  3. Experimental research of tissue response to exposure to EM stimuli
  4. Measurements of parameters of the human exposure to the EM field (unintentional exposure or intentional exposure for medical purposes)
  5. Development of measurement equipment and hardware
  6. Modeling and simulations of analyzed systems using commercial software

Description of laboratory and equipment

The research group uses all the resources of the Chair of Applied Electromagnetics and the associated lab (EMLab – Laboratory for EMC and EM research), consisting of the associated spaces and measurement equipment: probes for dielectric measurements of biological tissues and other materials, vector network analyzer, signal generators, oscilloscopes, broadband power amplifiers, spectrum analyzers, power sensors, broadband antennas, electromagnetic (EM) field probes, GTEM cell for standard EM field generation, Helmholtz coils for standard magnetic field generation, parallel plates for standard electric field generation, workstation running EM simulation software FEKO and CST Studio Suite.

The experimental work will mostly be performed in the bioelectromagnetics part of EMLab: EMLAb_Bio (room A707) and in the University Hospital Centre Zagreb.

Contacts with academic and other institutions

  • University Hospital Centre Zagreb – Rebro, Klinički zavod za patologiju i citologiju, Klinika za neurokirurgiju, Croatia
  • University of Split, School of Medicine (MEFST), Croatia
  • Poliklinika Medikol, Croatia
  • University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER), Croatia
  • Croatian Navy
  • University of Galway, Ireland
  • University of Lisbon, Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering (IBEB), Lisbon, Portugal
  • Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
  • Ghent University, Belgium
  • contacts with numerous institutions as part of EU projects COST EMF-MED and COST MyWAVE
project title

Measurements in bioelectromagnetics (M-BEM)

Description of research in a 5-year term

The dielectric parameters of human tissues and measurements thereof is the research priority for the next few years, which was the PhD thesis for the assistant Anđela Matković. The research is being done using measurement methods on the actual human tissue samples in the clinics, as well as other samples in the lab, with theoretical and simulation studies. In 2020, over 150 000 HRK of our own funds were invested in measurement equipment and simulation software, with the aim to increase the research intensity and collaboration with clinics. The collaboration with KBC Zagreb has already been operationally established in 2020 (with obtaining the ethical approval for studies of human tissue samples and performing the first sets of measurements) based exactly on the project M-BEM. Ethical approval application is a demanding process, and its success is an important recognition of this project, enabling FESB access to the clinics, with the legitimacy to publish the results.

The research includes an analysis that will be based on the data obtained by measurements, which requires appropriate measurement equipment, in parts: sensors, probes, electrodes, associated hardware, consumables and specialized equipment for handling biological material; with sophisticated and more expensive capital equipment that already exists in laboratories and is not the subject of procurement of this project. Measurements include measuring the parameters of the human exposure to EM field (unintentional exposure or intentional exposure for medical purposes), measuring the parameters of field sources, propagation and, in cooperation with physicians and foreign partners, and examining the response of cells and tissues to exposure to EM stimuli. Existing research activities have shown that some specialized pieces of equipment cannot be obtained as a commercial product, but need to be produced through our own research, development, and innovation. In the process of development of measurement equipment and hardware, but also in the process of analysis of bioelectromagnetic interactions, there will be a need for a phase of modeling and simulation of the analyzed system for which commercial software will be used, with a constant need to increase computer processing power.