Electromagnetic near field interference with implantable medical devices

The paper describes the methodology used to detect interference phenomena in vitro caused by digital and analog cellular phones placed in the close vicinity of implantable cardiac pacemakers. All four pacemakers tested exhibited some kind of interference; there was inhibition of the pacemaker function in two devices, when these were located at less than 2.5 cm from the antenna. The other two pacemakers exhibited atrial tracking of the interfering electromagnetic energy when exposed in similar situation.