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Safety Guidelines
11. What about wireless phone
interference with medical equipment?
Radio frequency energy (RF) from wireless
phones can interact with some electronic
devices. For this reason, the FDA helped
develop a detailed test method to measure
electromagnetic interference (EMI) of
implanted cardiac pacemakers and
defibrillators from wireless telephones. This
test method is now part of a standard
sponsored by the Association for the
Advancement of Medical instrumentation
(AAMI). The final draft, a joint effort by the
FDA, medical device manufacturers, and
many other groups, was completed in late
2000. This standard will allow
manufacturers to ensure that cardiac
pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from
wireless phone EMI. The FDA has tested
hearing aids for interference from handheld
wireless phones and helped develop a
voluntary standard sponsored by the Institute
of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).
This standard specifies test methods and
performance requirements for hearing aids
and wireless phones so that no interference
occurs when a person uses a ‘compatible’
phone and a ‘compatible’ hearing aid at the
same time. This standard was approved by
the IEEE in 2000. The FDA continues to
monitor the use of wireless phones for
possible interactions with other medical
devices. Should harmful interference be
found to occur, the FDA will conduct testing
to assess the interference and work to
resolve the problem.
12. Where can I find additional
information?
For additional information, please refer to
the following resources:
FDA web page on wireless phones
(http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/phones/index.html)
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
RF Safety Program
(http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety)
International Commission on Non-lonizing
Radiation Protection
(http://www.icnirp.de)
World Health Organization (WHO)
International EMF Project
(http://www.who.int/emf)
National Radiological Protection Board (UK)
(http://www.nrpb.org.uk/)
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