Prius and pacemakers

never heard of such a thing.

 

In the section regarding the smart key, you'll find the lawyers' brainstorming session on "what could possibly go wrong?" led to this warning:

So it appears to be nothing specific to the Prius or it's hybrid-ness, but rather a possible risk from any car that has a wireless smart key system. If your doctor has warned you to stay away from devices that transmit on radio frequencies, the key and the antennas in various locations in the car (one near each door handle equipped for keyless entry, one between the driver and passenger seats just below leg level, one under the rear seat, and one towards the front of the hatch area, according to the manual) might qualify.

Of course, so might the cell phone you're carrying, or the cell-based telematics system that some Prius models and many other vehicles have. Or any number of other things that surround us these days. Unless a doctor advised you to move to the U.S. National Radio Quiet Zone, I can't imagine that a pacemaker would be any more susceptible to smart key transmissions than other low-powered transmitters that surround us all the time.

Of course, I'm neither a doctor nor an expert in pacemakers, I'm just some dude on the internet. Tell your friend to ask her doctor.

 

It has been brought up before on the Forum. Basically, from measurements, there is no more RF in the Prius than there is outside the Prius. In fact, there is less.

How about cellphones? Does she stay at least 10' from them too whether in use or just standby (good luck with that!)?

 

Ask your Doctor.

Sounds like a load of nonsense to me.

 

Mayo Clinic Study Finds Electric Car Does Not Interfere with Implanted Cardiac Devices

Monday, March 11, 2013

PHOENIX - A Mayo Clinic study has concluded that patients with implanted cardiac devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators can safely drive or ride in an electric car without risk of electromagnetic interference (EMI).

The study, titled "Hybrid Cars and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators: Is It Safe?" is the first of its kind to address the interaction between these devices and electric cars. It will be presented at the 2013 American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session in San Francisco on March 9.

In some cases, implanted devices may sense signals from electrical or magnetic objects and misinterpreted them as potential distress coming from the patient's heart.

The increasing prevalence of electric and hybrid cars, one of the fastest growing segments of the American automotive industry, prompted Mayo Clinic cardiac investigators to study the potential risk of the effects of EMI on patients with implantable devices. Mayo Clinic researchers used implantable devices from the three major manufacturers and a 2012 Toyota Prius hybrid in the study. Electric and magnetic fields were measured in six positions: from the driver's seat, front passenger seat, the left and right rear seats and in front of and behind the car from the outside. Each position was evaluated at different speeds: 30 mph, 60 mph and at variable speeds of acceleration and deceleration.

The 30 study participants with implanted devices were continuously monitored while rotating positions in the car and driving the car, with a particular focus on real-time detection of any interruption in the normal functionality of their devices.

Luis R. Scott, M.D., Cardiologist, and Fernando Tondato, M.D., Cardiology Fellow, both of Mayo Clinic in Arizona and the study's lead investigators, called for additional study. They said that although the study results revealed that the car tested did not generate clinically relevant amounts of EMI and that the car is safe for patients with implanted devices, more research will help define and solidify the results. "Further studies may be necessary to evaluate the interaction between implantable devices and other models of hybrid or electric cars," says Dr. Scott.

The American College of Cardiology named a poster that summarizes the study and will be presented at the conference, as a 2013 "Best Fellows In Training (FIT) Poster," which represents the top 3 percent scoring percentile of abstracts accepted for presentation at the conference.

The study was funded by the Mayo Clinic Center for Translational Science Activities.

 

Good info!
I like your avatar showing the Curta Type II. I have a Type I.

 

My mom has a pacemaker and often rides in my 2011 Prius. She has not had any problems. This is the first I have heard of pacemaker problems.

 

And from a new "one hit wonder" member too. Who'd have thought

 

....same here