The personal current meter-A novel ankle-worn device for the measurement of RF body current in a mobile subject

An instrument is described for measurement of body current based on the use of a clamp-on RF current transformer, of a type used in EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) testing which can be worn around a subject's ankle. This transformer and its associated electronics are termed a personal current meter or PCM. The prototype instrument gave good performance over the current range 8-1000 mA for a frequency range of 0.1-80 MHz, and uses a digital display. The design of a prototype PCM is discussed, together with a description of the test methods used to assess the performance of the instrument in the laboratory.