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Moving Electrical Charges Around Us and Electrical Standards for Human Life

Author: Danut Dragoi, PhD

Since Maxwell time, 1860’s, with its famous equations that apply to any electromagnetic effect of moving electric charges or electrons in free space or conducting materials, the field of electromagnetic effects on human being is taken into consideration by a wide range of organizations that can regulate this electromagnetic aspect in deep detail for the benefit of human kind on our planet. Even if the effect of electromagnetic field, that is a non-ionizing radiation, is not well understood today, the regulators work hard on catching every negative aspect of it that may affect us. It is the public perception that electromagnetic waves are dangerous to human being. It is sufficient to remember the early days of the wireless telephone in 90’s, when public committees took action to stop installing the transmitter towers on elevated hills or just metallic towers in the middle of many communities. Today the radio coverage is everywhere! It is dangerous? Nobody knows! Since the effect on public cannot be systematically known because of HIPAA concerns (patient’s right to privacy on medical records) on one side, or real data missing in the other side that is not representative due to low sensitivity of scientific instruments available! It is our sensors body or our feeling that can work post-effects on electromagnetic waves with small degree of accuracy. A serious analysis require special places free of electromagnetic noise to determine individual equipment electromagnetic emission. At this point I think the noise on measurements is a complicated background that require special attention. The general perception of scientists is that the actual level of electromagnetic energy impeding on us every second is not high enough, so the effect on us must be minimal. Without proof this cannot be taken as granted. In recent years appeared an electromagnetic devices such as TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) of human brain to correct or relief some neuronal problems that affect so many. The TMS is a FDA approved instrument that can stimulate a large area of the brain with results that specialists in the field are still working on. At this point in time thinking about “Planning Ahead for IEC 60601-1-2 4th Edition for Medical EMC”  is welcome by everybody and useful for the entire society. It looks to many of us the industry is far ahead of the regulations that the main issue is hard to catch-up. Another important issue on the effects of physical fields effects on human being is that the science/knowledge of these interactions with human body is not matured enough to trace a reasonable conclusion for the benefit of human being. For about 65 years, since the invention of permanent ceramic magnets in 50’s, the effect of non-variable magnetic fields on humans remains unknown, despite the fact that there are attempts and websites to explain the effect of modern magnetotherapy  on human. Today many vendors are offering a large pallet of such devices. As we know, the scientific method has to be applied to all of these unknowns that still persists today. As we know moving electrical charges around us produce electromagnetic fields and vice versa a variable magnetic field can produce a variable electric field that can move electric charges, if they can be moved. As a society we have to impose some restrictions until this practice become dangerous. In this way the IEC 60601-1-2:2014 applies to the basic safety and essential performance of Medical Equipment (ME) that play an important role for public safety. It is our public duty to cooperate with scientists in deciphering one of the modern day challenges, what is the true effect of physical fields on human being.