ID Number		731
Study Type		Engineering & Physics
Model		800, 1900 MHz (CW, GSM, CDMA, iDEN) mobile phone and 2450 MHz (WiFi) PDA exposure to implanted as well as external medical devices and analysis of electromagnetic interference
Details		In an initial study, cardiopulmonary devices were examined for electromagnetic interference from mobile phone RF emissions (not clear what signals or output power). Although some interference was reported, the authors concluded that this interference would rarely be of clinical importance. In a related study, pacemakers and defibrilators were tested using PDAs operating on 2450 MHz 802.11 LAN systems. The authors report no EMI effects, although suggest that testing ideally should be completed in vivo to confirm the lack of any clinically important interactions. In a 2005 study,the authors used TDMA, iDEN, GSM, CDMA, and analog mobile phone signals (with handsets at or near max power due to poor signal from base station). They also used a Tetra handset (with 2.5 Watts max output power). The authors tested 16 different medical devices (6 x ECG monitors, 5 x ventilators, and 1 x of: EEG monitor, pulse oximeter, defibrillator, infusion pump, and an intra-aortic ballon pump) with each phone. The authors report observable EMI in 21% of devices, although clinically significant EMI occured only 1.2 % of the time and only when the mobile phone was in immediate proximity. The authors also report that newer medical devices appear to have further reduced EMI vulnerability issues. A 2007 paper looking at medical device interference in patient rooms (total of 192 medical devices) with no detectable EMI.
Findings		Not Applicable to Bioeffects
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
Funding Agency		Mayo Clinic, USA
Country		UNITED STATES
References		Tri, JL et al. Mayo Clinic Proc, (2007) 82:282-285 Tri, JL et al. Mayo Clin Proc, (2005) 80:1286-1290 Tri, JL et al. Mayo Clin Proc., (2004) 79:1527-1530 Tri, JL et al. Mayo Clin Proc, (2001) 76:11-15 Abenstein, JP Mayo Clinic proceedings., (2007) 82:276-278
Comments		mobile phone handset output power (due to poor signal strength) is not very quantitative - output power could change dramatically during testing due to all kinds of signal reflections, fades, etc.