Fri Feb 24 2012

electronic interference

Will a cell phone in any way interfere with the safe operation of this machine.


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Tue Feb 28 2012Reply from MedWrenchManager
MedWrenchManager

The short answer is yes.

The overall answer is that it's possible for any radio (a cell phone IS a radio) to interfere with something else when transmitting. Like in real estate, it boils down to location, location location.

A cell phone's ability to interfere depends on how close it is to the medical device and how strong a signal the cell phone broadcasts. The strength of the cell signal depends directly upon the strength of the tower signal it 'sees'. If the phone sees a strong cell signal, it scales back it's own signal. I can provide an example from a couple of years ago at one of our hospitals - A telemetry patient's heart rate read 28 BPM at the central station. investigation showed that the patient had his cell phone turned on and sitting in the chest pocket of his hospital gown. About 2 inches from the telkemtry transmitter. As soon as he turned off the cell phone, the heart rate was accurate.

Answer provided by Paul S., Senior Biomedical Engineer at Dept. of Veterans Affairs via the MES LinkedIN group.


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Mon Jul 04 2022Reply from AnthonyMorgan
avatar placemark

By the way, I noticed that when I cook I always listen to music because we have a radio in the kitchen with which I am not so bored.


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