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Contact: Kennesha Baldwin
Heart Rhythm Society
(202) 464-3476
kbaldwin@HRSonline.org
Cindy Rahman: (703) 283-8499
Heart Rhythm 2011 Press Room: (415) 978-3514 (this phone number active through Saturday, May 7, 1:00 p.m. PT)
New Research Shows No Interference Will Occur When Headphones Are More Than Two Centimeters from a Life-Saving Cardiac Device
A laboratory study presented at Heart Rhythm 2011 examines the likelihood of magnetic interference between implanted cardiac devices and 21 different types of headphones
SAN FRANCISCO, May 5, 2011 – According to a laboratory study presented today at Heart Rhythm 2011, the Heart Rhythm Society’s 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions, the distance at which headphones cause magnetic interference with active implanted cardiac medical devices (AICMDs), such as implantable cardiac pacemakers (ICPs) and cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), is less than previously reported. Headphones and earbuds commonly used with personal music players such as iPods do not cause magnetic interference with AICMDs at a distance of two centimeters or more. Earlier studies have raised concerns about potential effects of interference from headphones used with personal music players at a distance of three centimeters. Download study abstract » (PDF, 9K)
The laboratory study used a human torso simulator consisting of a plastic box filled with 0.18 percent saline solution. Simulated ECG signals were used to inhibit the pacing activity of 29 AICMDs (21 ICPs and 8 ICDs). Separation distances up to 30 centimeters from the AICMDs were tested on a total of 21 different models of headphones. Tests were repeated with each type of headphone in direct surface contact with AICMDs with malfunctions noted.
Study results show no interference observed from any of the 21 headphones and earbuds at a distance of two centimeters or more from the surface of the AICMDs, and no specific type of headphone or earbud changed any of the parameter settings or affected the functionality of the devices. The measured static magnetic flux densities (B) of the headphones or earbuds were 11.8mT or less at the surface of the device, and 0.4mT or less at a distance of two centimeters.
“Based on the study results, the risk of interference on AICMDs is truly dependent on how close the patient is to the device and the risk becomes minute as the distance becomes greater,” stated Kok-Swang Tan, Ph.D., Medical Devices Bureau, Therapeutic Products Directorate, Health Canada. “Although the risk is low, it is critical for individuals to avoid hanging headphones around their neck or storing them inside a front pocket, and someone who is wearing headphones should never rest their head on the chest of someone who has any type of cardiac device.”
Previous research by Sinjin Lee et al., published in the October 2009 edition of HeartRhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, cited a clinically significant impact of magnetic interference on the function of AICMDs at distances less than three centimeters. However, the laboratory study conducted by Kok-Swang Tan at two centimeters proved no interference from any of the headphones or earbuds tested. The differentiating factor is the distance from which the headphones or earbuds can or will cause interference with AICMDs. Patients should be advised to keep headphones or earbuds at least two centimeters from their device to avoid any potential damage.
Sessions details:
“Effects of Magnets in Headphones on Active Implanted Cardiac Medical Devices — A Laboratory Study” [Thursday, May 5, 2011 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Poster Town, Exhibit Hall]
About Heart Rhythm 2011
Heart Rhythm 2011 takes place May 4-7, 2011 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA. The Society's Annual Scientific Sessions is the most comprehensive educational event on heart rhythm disorders, offering more than 250 educational opportunities in multiple formats. The world’s most renowned scientists and physicians will present a wide range of heart rhythm topics including cardiac resynchronization therapy, catheter ablation, cardiac pacing and heart failure as well as the latest technology, including state-of-the-art pacemakers and defibrillators.
About the Heart Rhythm Society
The Heart Rhythm Society is the international leader in science, education and advocacy for cardiac arrhythmia professionals and patients, and the primary information resource on heart rhythm disorders. Its mission is to improve the care of patients by promoting research, education and optimal health care policies and standards. Incorporated in 1979 and based in Washington, DC, it has a membership of more than 5,300 heart rhythm professionals in more than 70 countries around the world.
