Heart Rhythm
Volume 6, Issue 10 , Pages 1432-1436 , October 2009

Clinically significant magnetic interference of implanted cardiac devices by portable headphones

  • Sinjin Lee, MD

      Affiliations

    • Cardiovascular Institute, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
    • ,
  • Kevin Fu, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Computer Science, UMass Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
    • ,
  • Tadayoshi Kohno, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
    • ,
  • Benjamin Ransford, BS

      Affiliations

    • Department of Computer Science, UMass Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
    • ,
  • William H. Maisel, MD, MPH, FHRS

      Affiliations

    • Medical Device Safety Institute, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
    • Cardiovascular Institute, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. William H. Maisel, Medical Device Safety Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 185 Pilgrim Road, Baker 4, Boston, Massachusetts 02215

Received 2 May 2009 ,Accepted 2 July 2009.

  • Image Result

    Standard earbud (A) and clip-on (B) headphones.

    Standard earbud (A) and clip-on (B) headphones.

  • Image Result

    Example of asynchronous pacing induced when a portable headphone was placed on a patient's chest overlying the pacemaker (top: arrow “Magnet Near Device”). Removal of the headphone (bottom: arrow “Mag

    Example of asynchronous pacing induced when a portable headphone was placed on a patient's chest overlying the pacemaker (top: arrow “Magnet Near Device”). Removal of the headphone (bottom: arrow “Magnet Removed”) resulted in an immediate return of normal pacemaker function.

  • Image Result
    Actual appearance of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) programmer screen. Upon placement of a headphone on a patient's chest overlying the ICD, tachyarrhythmia detection was suspended as

    Actual appearance of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) programmer screen. Upon placement of a headphone on a patient's chest overlying the ICD, tachyarrhythmia detection was suspended as indicated by this warning screen displaying “Detection Suspended” (arrow). Removal of the headphone resulted in immediate restoration of normal device function.

PII: S1547-5271(09)00740-1

doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2009.07.003

Heart Rhythm
Volume 6, Issue 10 , Pages 1432-1436 , October 2009

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