Further evidence that powerful magnets in some Apple iPhones can interfere with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) comes from a small study that also suggests some devices are more susceptible than others.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max with MagSafe technology interfered with CIEDs implanted in three consecutive patients presenting to an electrophysiology lab and in eight of 11 implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and pacemakers (72.7%) still in their original packaging.

The results, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, are consistent with a widely publicized single-patient report this February and evidence of electromagnetic interference with fitness wristbands and e-cigarettes.

The MagSafe technology supports wireless charging and is optimized by a ring-shaped array of magnets. Although magnet mode activation has been shown to occur in CIEDs with exposure to a magnetic field as low as 10 gauss, the field strength of the iPhone 12 Pro Max can be greater than 50 G when in direct contact, the researchers determined.

“If this becomes a standard in a lot of the new smartphones or companies start to use stronger magnets…then we will see more and more of these consumer electronic and device interactions,” senior author Michael Wu, MD, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, told theheart.org | Medscape Cardiology.

In a May advisory on these device interactions, the US Food and Drug Administration also cautioned that the number of consumer electronics with strong magnets is expected to increase over time.

Read more at https://tinyurl.com/bz8t6zw8

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05/13/2021

Some consumer electronic devices, such as certain cell phones and smart watches, include high field strength magnets. Recent studies have shown that consumer electronic devices with high field strength magnets may cause certain implanted medical devices to switch to “magnet mode” and suspend normal operations until the magnet is moved away from the medical device.

Many implanted medical devices are designed with a “magnet mode” to allow for safe operation during certain medical procedures such as undergoing an MRI scan. These safety features are typically engaged by physicians with the use of a high field strength magnet that is placed near the implanted device placing it into a “magnet mode.” Removal of the magnetic field causes the device to return to normal operation.

Precautions for Patients with Pacemakers and Other Implanted Medical Devices

The FDA recommends patients keep any consumer electronic devices that may create magnetic interference, including cell phones and smart watches, at least six inches away from implanted medical devices, in particular cardiac defibrillators. Many implanted medical devices have FDA-approved information written for patients (patient labeling), which cautions patients to keep all cell phones and smart watches at least six inches from the implanted medical device.

People with implanted medical devices may want to take some simple precautions, including:

• Keep the consumer electronics, such as certain cell phones and smart watches, six inches away from implanted medical devices.
• Do not carry consumer electronics in a pocket over the medical device. 
• Check your device using your home monitoring system, if you have one.
• Talk to your health care provider if you are experiencing any symptoms or have questions regarding magnets in consumer electronics and implanted medical devices.

When near high strength magnets, devices with a magnetic safe mode could stop working or change how the device works. For example, a cardiac defibrillator may be unable to detect tachycardia events. Or it may change the operational mode of the devices such as turning on asynchronous (i.e., two or more events not happening at the same time) mode in a pacemaker.

Cardiac implanted electronic devices are intended to support heart rhythm disorders, such as slow or fast heart rates. When the device stops working, a patient may experience dizziness, loss of consciousness or even death if therapy is not delivered when lifesaving shocks are required.

It is important to emphasize the following: to avoid interference between cell phones and smart watches and your heart device, keep them at least six inches (15 centimeters) away from implanted medical devices. Also, do not place cell phones, smart watches, and other consumer electronics close to your implanted medical device.

The FDA is aware of published articles which describe the effect that sufficiently strong magnetic fields can turn on the magnetic safe mode when in close contact. The FDA also conducted its own testing on some products that use the high field strength magnet feature and have confirmed the magnetic field is both consistent with the publications and strong enough to turn on the magnetic safety mode of the medical devices in question. The FDA believes the risk to patients is low, and the agency is not aware of any adverse events associated with this issue at this time.

The FDA continues to monitor all relevant scientific information about this ongoing issue and will continue to take appropriate action, including informing the public and providing additional information, if the need arises based on its risk analysis.

See related articles at https://tinyurl.com/edvjdh3f

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HenryFordTV

Henry Ford Hospital cardiologists Gurjit Singh, M.D., and Joshua Greenberg, M.D., made a stunning discovery when they found that the magnet in the iPhone 12 can disrupt the function of a life-saving defibrillator. Alarmed by their discovery, they drafted a manuscript about their findings and submitted it to the medical journal HeartRhythm, which was published on January 4, 2021. The findings got the attention of the FDA, which regulates medical devices, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, and most notably, Apple itself, which published a warning on its webpage on January 23.

The post Feb. 4 Media Briefing: iPhone 12 Deactivates Defibrillator appeared first on EMFSA.

February 04, 2021

DETROIT (February 4, 2021) – One of the newest features of the Apple iPhone 12 series of mobile devices is a strong magnet that helps align the phone on Apple’s MagSafe accessory to maximize charging – a feature that raised the curiosity of Henry Ford Heart & Vascular Institute cardiologist Gurjit Singh, M.D., and his colleagues.

Dr. Singh is an expert in cardiac electrophysiology, a specialty which deals with various electrical and rhythm disorders. He is an expert in the use of devices such as implantable defibrillators that detect an irregular heartbeat and shock the heart back into a normal rhythm, and pacemakers that use electricity to keep the heart beating. Combined, more than 300,000 people in the United States undergo surgery to implant one of these devices each year. Additionally, approximately one in four cell phones sold last year was an iPhone 12.

These cardiac devices have switches which respond to an external magnet to change how the device functions. For a defibrillator, a magnet can be used to turn the device off. For a pacemaker, a strong magnet can make the device deliver electrical impulses that cause the heart to beat out of sync, which can bring about a potentially lethal condition called ventricular fibrillation.

Read more at https://www.henryford.com/news/2021/02/iphone-12-deactivates-defibrillator

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