Research database

The aim of this joint research project is to imagine a 3D simulation methodology that allows to characterize the human exposure to near charging stations for electric vehicles, both for wired installations and wireless facilities, and identify the risk of interaction with cardiac implantable electronic devices. Pacemakers and implantable/cardioverter defibrillators are active implantable medical devices needed in case of cardiac arrhythmias. These devices, also known as cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), consist of a pulse generator and one or more leads that connect to the heart. The generator contains a battery and an electronic component that detects the heart's electrical activity and delivers electrical impulses when necessary. Over the past two decades, there has been a proliferation of electromagnetic field (EMF) sources that CIED patients may meet during their daily activities, and this trend is expected to continue. It is crucial to closely monitor the interaction between these new sources and the devices, as they can interfere with their functioning and potentially cause serious harm or even death to the patient. As the cumulative supply of electric vehicles (EVs) worldwide increased significantly, the charging infrastructure is also developing. This has raised concerns about the effects of EMF generated from EV chargers on the human body. Charging may be performed in the traditional way by charging a battery with current using wired installations or by systems of wireless power transfer (WPT), in which power is transferred via EMF. The use of WPT charging systems is a promising solution for electrification transportation. In such a system, the energy is transferred wirelessly between two coils through the magnetic field generating EMF leakage around the system. Although implants at WPT frequencies are much shorter than the relevant wavelength, still their effects on the local field enhancement cannot be neglected. To the best of our knowledge, realistic implantable devices in the vicinity of charging stations have not yet been exhaustively studied. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the effects of implantable devices on human body tissues in the vicinity of high-power systems in the low frequency (LF) range considering realistic exposure scenarios.