A system for studying effects of microwaves on cells in culture.

An improved design of the fluid-filled waveguide-exposure chamber is described for studying effects of microwave radiation on cells in vitro. The system with a micropipette sample holder may be used as a prototype to isolate the apparent nonthermal factor of microwave radiation on cells in culture from those effects resulting from cell temperature rise. This system also allows more precise calibration of incident and absorbed microwave energies. Compared with control, somatic cells of the Chinese hamster exhibited a lower rate of growth and difference in morphology after 2450 MHz microwave radiation for 20 min at a power density of 500 mW/cm2.