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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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Kingdom distributed leaflets containing such a
recommendation in December 2000. They noted
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
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SAFETY GUIDELINES