User guide

SAFETY WARNINGS
Interference with Pacemakers and Other Medical Devices
Potential interference
Radiofrequency energy (RF) from cellular devices can interact with some electronic devices. This is electromagnetic
interference (EMI). The FDA helped develop a detailed test method to measure EMI of implanted cardiac
pacemakers and defibrillators from cellular devices. This test method is part of the Association for the
Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standard. This standard allows manufacturers to ensure that
cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from cellular device EMI.
The FDA continues to monitor cellular devices for interactions with other medical devices. If harmful interference
occurs, the FDA will assess the interference and work to resolve the problem.
Precautions for pacemaker wearers
If EMI occurs, it could affect a pacemaker in one of three ways:
■ Stop the pacemaker from delivering the stimulating pulses that regulate the heart's rhythm.
■ Cause the pacemaker to deliver the pulses irregularly.
■ Cause the pacemaker to ignore the heart's own rhythm and deliver pulses at a fixed rate.
Based on current research, cellular devices do not pose a significant health problem for most pacemaker wearers.
However, people with pacemakers may want to take simple precautions to be sure that their device doesn't cause
a problem.
■ Keep the device on the opposite the side of the body from the pacemaker to add extra distance
between the pacemaker and the device.
■ Avoid placing a turned-on device next to the pacemaker (for example, don’t carry the device in a shirt
or jacket pocket directly over the pacemaker).
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rCell 500 Series Router User Guide