LG VX4400 - Medical Equipment

a re c o m m e n d ation in December 2000. Th ey noted that
no evidence exists that using a wireless phone causes
b rain tumors or other ill effects. Their re c o m m e n d at i o n
to limit wireless phone use by ch i l d ren was stri c t l y
p re c a u t i o n a r y; it was not based on scientific ev i d e n c e
t h at any health hazard ex i s t s .
1 1 .W h a t about wireless phone interfe r ence with
medical equipment?
Radio fre q u e n c y energy (RF) from wireless phones can
i n t e r act with some electronic devices. For this re a s o n ,t h e
F DA helped develop a detailed test method to measure
e l e c t ro m a gnetic interfe rence (EMI) of implanted card i a c
p a c e m a ke r s and defi b ri l l at o r s from wireless telep h o n e s .
This test method is now part of a standard sponsored by
the A s s o c i ation for the A dvancement of Medical
i n s t ru m e n t ation (AAMI). The final dra f t , a joint effo rt by
the FDA , medical device manu fa c t u re rs , and many other
gro u p s ,was completed in late 2000. This standard will
a l l ow manu fa c t u re rs to ensure that cardiac pacemake rs
and defi b ri l l at o r s are safe from wireless phone EMI.
The FDA has tested hearing aids for interfe rence fro m
handheld wireless phones and helped develop a
vo l u n t a ry standard sponsored by the Institute of
E l e c t r ical and Electronic Engi n e e r s (IEEE). Th i s
s t a n d a rd specifies test methods and perfo rm a n c e
re q u i r ements for hearing aids and wireless phones so that
no interfe r ence occurs when a person uses a
“ c o m p at i bl e ”phone and a “ c o m p at i bl e ”h e a r ing aid at
the same time. This standard was ap p roved by the IEEE
in 2000.
The FDA continues to monitor the use of wire l e s s
phones for possible interactions with other medical
d evices. Should harmful interfe r ence be found to occur,
the FDA will conduct testing to assess the interfe re n c e
and wo r k to re s o l ve the pro bl e m .
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