DETROIT – Cardiologists at the Henry Ford Heart and Vascular Institute said that the magnet in the iPhone 12 can disrupt the function of a defibrillator.
Their findings are backed by a warning from Apple that tells people with implanted pacemakers and defibrillators to keep their devices more than 6 inches apart.
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Medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact. To avoid any potential interactions with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories a safe distance away from your device (more than 6 inches / 15 cm apart or more than 12 inches / 30 cm apart if wirelessly charging). But consult with your physician and your device manufacturer for specific guidelines.
Apple
According to Henry Ford, there are more than 300,000 recipients of implanted defibrillators and pacemakers every year.
Doctors said they were alarmed by their discovery. Henry Ford cardiologists, led by Gurjit Singh, M.D., released a manuscript about their findings and submitted it to the medical journal HeartRhythm. It was published on Jan. 4.
Once the iPhone was brought close to the ICD over the left chest area, immediate suspension of ICD therapies was noted and persisted for the duration of the test (Figure 1). This result was reproduced multiple times with different positions of the phone over the pocket.
Joshua C. Greenberg, MD Mahmoud R. Altawil, MD Gurjit Singh, MD
Apple published a warning on its webpage on January 23. Doctors said the findings also got the attention of the FDA. Click here to read the warning from Apple.
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