Ipods and pacemakers

[tskstorm]

this might not be relevant everywhere but i think this is absolutely important in NYC, where everyone has an ipod(well close to it) and we all pack ourselves onto subway stations without enough room to breath, if my ipod is in my inside jacket pocket and im pushed up against sumone with a pacemaker it could be potentially deadly.

and i think its newsworthy cuz it did bring attention to a situation that others might not have thought of. i certainly didnt think an ipod could cause a pacemaker to stop. interference sure, stop it? no.

just an opinion. love ya all

[Richard B the EMT]

Just to rile things up, I'll mention I have read (sources not remembered) that it was once believed that a man going faster than the speed of a galloping horse risked his health, this in response to the establishment of railroads.

[paramedicmike]

this might not be relevant everywhere but i think this is absolutely important in NYC, where everyone has an ipod(well close to it) and we all pack ourselves onto subway stations without enough room to breath, if my ipod is in my inside jacket pocket and im pushed up against sumone with a pacemaker it could be potentially deadly.

Any device could do this. A cell phone could do it. A PDA could do it. Yes, and an iPod, too. Strangely enough, any of these could be in your pocket, too.

However, you can't walk around all day wondering if your iPod in your pocket is going to interfere with someone's pacer. If you are going to be that concerned about it, don't bother to get out of bed in the morning. In fact, go dig a bomb shelter somewhere in Nebraska and live there. It is not your responsibility to make sure your iPod, in your pocket, doesn't kill someone.

It is mentioned in the article, ANY electrical device can do this. Patients are told this. They are specifically told this regarding electrical interference. So why this particular story, surrounding the iPod, is news is really incomprehensible.

Must've been a slow news day. What? Didn't Paris or Britney do anything newsworth recently? :roll:

-be safe

[tskstorm]

Any device could do this. A cell phone could do it. A PDA could do it. Yes, and an iPod, too. Strangely enough, any of these could be in your pocket, too.

However, you can't walk around all day wondering if your iPod in your pocket is going to interfere with someone's pacer. If you are going to be that concerned about it, don't bother to get out of bed in the morning. In fact, go dig a bomb shelter somewhere in Nebraska and live there. It is not your responsibility to make sure your iPod, in your pocket, doesn't kill someone.

It is mentioned in the article, ANY electrical device can do this. Patients are told this. They are specifically told this regarding electrical interference. So why this particular story, surrounding the iPod, is news is really incomprehensible.

Must've been a slow news day. What? Didn't Paris or Britney do anything newsworth recently? :roll:

-be safe

cell phones dont work in the subway, not sure about pda's but i dont beleive they do either. ipods do. *shrug* whatever. no point in arguing over pointless nonsense. i for one am glad this was brought to attention, however it hasnt even been thoroughly or completely researched.

and actually Paris did, shes going to jail, or gotta buy/sleep her way outta it for violating her parol!

[AZCEP]

If an electrical device is turned on, it is generating an electromagnetic field. Using your cellphone increases the strength of the field.

This has been researched, but it has been roughly 60 years since anyone thought to report it in the news.

[tskstorm]

If an electrical device is turned on, it is generating an electromagnetic field. Using your cellphone increases the strength of the field.

This has been researched, but it has been roughly 60 years since anyone thought to report it in the news.

okay, so therefore, it seems you further strengthen the point, cell phone on = little electromagnetic field where as using an IPOD = stronger electromagnetic field :?:

[AZCEP]

You do not USE an iPod to transmit to distant sources, as you do with a phone.

When a cell phone is on, in "standby" mode, it does not generate the same field as it does when it is being used to make a call. Every phone is a bit different, but most are at or below 3 watts of power when transmitting.

An iPod, or similar personal digital device, does not have a transmit capacity, so they do not have as wide a fluctuation in the field they generate.

To demonstrate this, take your handheld radio near any operating computer monitor. Hold it in any number of different positions with the power turned on. You will notice nothing happens. Now, hold the tip of the antenna near the monitor, and key the radio. Notice what happens to the screen.

Let me repeat my repeat of what I said originally, this is not newsworthy. The properties of electronic devices and their ability to foul other electronic devices has been known for a very long time.

[Ridryder 911]

All this is considered "Science Junk" and has been tested and found non-scientific. Look at Boston Scientific Journal as well as pacemaker websites and they address this as "myths". With basic instructions of it causes interference to remove from source and the device will continue as designed. In other words, if causes you problems ... stop doing it.

That is why now cell phones and other electrical equipment is allowed on hospital grounds. Unless placed in a very close proximity (inches) it will not cause interference as rumors had described it in myths.

R/r 911

[tskstorm]

All this is considered "Science Junk" and has been tested and found non-scientific. Look at Boston Scientific Journal as well as pacemaker websites and they address this as "myths". With basic instructions of it causes interference to remove from source and the device will continue as designed. In other words, if causes you problems ... stop doing it.

That is why now cell phones and other electrical equipment is allowed on hospital grounds. Unless placed in a very close proximity (inches) it will not cause interference as rumors had described it in myths.

R/r 911

all the hospitals here always have signs posted to not use cellphones. of course we do it anyways, and dont usually get a hard time about it, but we do occasionally.

*shrugs* i still think it was a good topic !

[ffemtdrew14]

Every phone is a bit different, but most are at or below 3 watts of power when transmitting.

Portable Cell phones the ones most of us carry now, are only allowed to transmit at .6 watts to prevent over exposure to RF energy, but most operate between .06 and .6 watts depending on how strong of a signal the phone is receiving back. The pones do transmit the occasional data packet to the cell tower for location reporting, so the router computers know where you are to direct your call to the appropriate cell site for your phone.