ipod
05/11/2007, 10:15am, EDT
Friday, May 11th
Study: iPods interfere with pacemakers
A new study presented by a 17-year-old Michigan high school student found that Apple's iPod portable media players can cause pacemakers -- small cardiac implants designed to monitor the hearts of people at risk of heart failure -- to misread heart pacing or fail entirely. The study which tested the effect of iPods on 100 patients with a mean age of 77 outfitted with pacemakers found that the portable players caused electrical interference 50 percent of the time when the iPod was held 2-inches from the patient's chest for 5-10 seconds, according to Reuters. The study examined iPods exclusively, and the results were presented to a meeting of heart specialists on Thursday. iPods caused pacemaker interference when held 18-inches from the chest in some cases, and in one particular instance caused the pacemaker to stop functioning entirely.
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Can anyone say "corporate-sponsored reasearch?"
These units have all passed FCC testing for use in homes and offices. If the levels the FCC have determined are too high, the FCC needs to re-evalute their standards.
To single out one manufacturer that is complying with established standards questions the legitimacy of this "study".
So what does one do, when testing an iPod on a 77 year old patient and his pacemaker stops! Was the 17 year old kid charged with man-slaughter?
I don't care about the FCC, as that's the minimum standard for high quality companies. And Apple was used because it is the monopoly in this area.
Since it is a H.S. student, Apple should look into this and see what, if anything, needs to be done, and let the public know. Apple is about high quality and best user-friendly design. If true, this is not user-friendly.
Yeah, and I am sure no ther mp3 player exhibits the same behavior. It was chosen because it IS the main one.
"It's clear that iPods can affect pacing function," said Heist. "There is a possibility for a severe reaction, such as loss of consciousness."
Heist said he tells his patients that they can use any household device, including cell phones and iPods, but not to put them over their pacemaker. "Patients with a pacemaker could safely use an iPod, just don't put it over the device," he said."
http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=604482