Quantitative determination of SAR profiles from photographs of the light-emitting diode matrix.

The utility of the light-emitting diode (LED) matrix, i.e. the qualitative localization of maxima and minima in the patterns of the specific absorption rate (SAR), can be extended to quantitative measurements by a method described. With the LED dipoles on the matrix representing light sources of similar characteristics, the minimal field strength necessary to produce light is a criterion which can be easily determined. From the power levels necessary to fulfil this criterion, relative SAR values have been calculated. The attenuation of field strength by the LED matrix has been measured by an additional dipole antenna with fibre-optic read-out, so that the calculated SAR profiles could be corrected for the relatively smaller attenuation near the edges. This technique has been tested for several set-ups in a 'Coaxial TEM applicator' and the resulting SAR profiles along the major axis of the aperture midplane were compared with SAR profiles determined using a single dipole E-field probe. Results show that, from a set of photographs at different power levels, SAR profiles can be constructed with limited accuracy along lines in any direction in the whole aperture midplane and by this the complete two-dimensional SAR pattern can be obtained.