IPad 2 May Interfere With Heart Implants, Study Shows
I’d like to see more in the form of a full study, but like any other device that emits an EM field it’s not a good idea to put it near your pacemaker. That’s why my cell phone never goes in my shirt pocket anymore.
he research was performed by 14-year-old high school freshman Gianna Chien of Stockton, California and her colleagues. They found that magnetic interference could change the settings and even deactivate the technology of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs).
Chien was helped by her father, a cardiologist. She asked 26 volunteers with ICDs to hold the iPad 2 at reading distance and then, on a separate occasion, to hold the tablets against their chests.
The study showed that magnets imbedded in the iPad 2, as well as its Smart Cover, could interfere and disrupt the workings of ICDs.
Specialized magnets are rooted in the heart devices to allow doctors to adjust their settings on a set schedule. The iPad 2 and its Smart Cover magnets can undermine an ICD’s ability to stabilize sudden rapid heart rates, such as fibrillation and tachycardia.
This danger can happen when a person falls asleep with the tablet sitting on their chest. Of the study participants, 30% had interference with their devices when the iPad2 was placed in that position.