![]() Since EMI can be radiated, it can travel through the air and originate from many possible sources, including everyday consumer devices, such as cell phones, microwaves, radio frequency identification (RFID) equipment, anti-theft devices, and metal detectors. These fields can be traced to a wide variety of electrical and magnetic sources, as well as some non-electrical sources. Other implantable medical devices susceptible to EMI - with consequences ranging from discomfort to death - include neurostimulators, cochlear implants, bowel and bladder control stimulation implants, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) shunt systems, visual prostheses, and implantable drug infusion pumps.ĮMI occurs when a device’s function is affected by the electromagnetic fields generated by a nearby device. 1 - The long leads in implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) can act like antennae and magnify EMI. Devices that utilize leads - long wires designed to deliver therapy or take measurements - are especially sensitive to EMI, as the leads can act as antennas that detect and amplify ambient EMR.įor example, EMI from such unexpected sources as faulty swimming pool wiring has been shown to cause implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to record nonexistent erratic cardiac behavior and unnecessarily activate, delivering painful electric shocks to patients.įig. Since implantable devices go wherever patients go, are not easily replaceable, and often serve a life-sustaining purpose, it is vital to understand how EMI can affect them and to proactively protect them from interference or damage. ![]() Thus, preventative measures, including EMI shielding and filtering, must be employed to protect both implantable medical devices and their host patients from harm.Īny medical device that employs onboard electronics can be impacted by EMI, but implantable devices are especially susceptible to the effects of EMI due to the fact that people are continually surrounded by electronics. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and other organizations have regulations in place to help minimize the amount of electromagnetic interference (EMI) created, some amounts are unavoidable, and even larger amounts can be generated in rare circumstances, or in the event of device malfunction. Each of these devices is capable of generating electromagnetic radiation (EMR) that can interrupt or damage implanted electronic devices. The number of implanted medical devices containing onboard electronics will continue to rise as life-sustaining and life-improving technologies advance.Īt the same time, the usage of external electrical devices has become ubiquitous. ![]() Neurostimulator implants – such as spinal cord stimulators, which are used to treat chronic pain – are also increasing as new products reach the market. ![]() alone, more than 300,000 cardiac arrhythmia devices - which include pacemakers and ICDs - are implanted each year. For example, devices used to treat cardiac arrhythmia - including pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) - frequently contain sensors to monitor heartbeats, onboard memory to record that data, processors to determine which therapy is required, and circuitry to generate either electrical impulses or shocks to correct the heart’s operation. The continuous advancement of medical device technology has led to a dramatic increase in the number of implantable devices that utilize onboard electronics.
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