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Safety Guidelines
that no evidence exists that using
a wireless phone causes brain
tumors or other ill effects. Their
recommendation to limit wireless
phone use by children was strictly
precautionary; it was not based on
scientific evidence that any health
hazard exists.
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.