Practical method to evaluate electromagnetic interference in active implantable medical devices

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in biomedical applications is a significant issue related to the user’s life safety, especially in implantable medical devices. Cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative disorders are the main chronic disease worldwide that rely on implantable treatment devices such as cardiac pacemakers and vagus nerve stimulators. Both devices must have high EMC to avoid electromagnetic interference-induced health risks, even death during the treatment. Thus, it is important to understand how EMI can affect implantable devices and proactively protect devices from electromagnetic interference, providing reliable and safe implantable device therapy. To this end, this chapter comprehensively introduces the clinical issues and provides EMC requirements for the implantable device such as a cardiac pacemaker and vagus nerve stimulator. The significance of this chapter is to present the EMC important issues in medical engineering that can help to evolve reliable and secure implantable device development in the future.

Download Full-text

In vitro Assessment of Electromagnetic Interference due to Low-Band RFID reader/writers on Active Implantable Medical Devices

Journal of Arrhythmia ◽

10.1016/s1880-4276(09)80013-6 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 142-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Shunichi Futatsumori ◽

Yoshifumi Kawamura ◽

Takashi Hikage ◽

Toshio Nojima ◽

Ben Koike ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Devices ◽

Electromagnetic Interference ◽

Implantable Medical Devices ◽

Rfid Reader ◽

In Vitro Assessment

Download Full-text

Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing of Implantable Neurostimulators Exposed to Metal Detectors

The Open Biomedical Engineering Journal ◽

10.2174/1874120701004010063 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 63-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Seth J Seidman ◽

Wolfgang Kainz ◽

Jon Casamento ◽

Donald Witters

Keyword(s):

Medical Devices ◽

Electromagnetic Interference ◽

Electromagnetic Compatibility ◽

Security Systems ◽

Implantable Medical Devices ◽

Worst Case ◽

Implantable Neurostimulators ◽

Metal Detectors ◽

Summary Data ◽

Setting Parameters

This paper presents results of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing of three implantable neurostimulators exposed to the magnetic fields emitted from several walk-through and hand-held metal detectors. The motivation behind this testing comes from numerous adverse event reports involving active implantable medical devices (AIMDs) and security systems that have been received by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). EMC testing was performed using three neurostimulators exposed to the emissions from 12 walk-through metal detectors (WTMDs) and 32 hand-held metal detectors (HHMDs). Emission measurements were performed on all HHMDs and WTMDs and summary data is presented. Results from the EMC testing indicate possible electromagnetic interference (EMI) between one of the neurostimulators and one WTMD and indicate that EMI between the three neurostimulators and HHMDs is unlikely. The results suggest that worst case situations for EMC testing are hard to predict and testing all major medical device modes and setting parameters are necessary to understand and characterize the EMC of AIMDs.

Download Full-text