Samsung SGH-F250 User Manual page 50

Health and safety information
Do wireless phone accessories that claim
to shield the head from RF radiation work?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF
emissions from wireless phones, there is no reason to
believe that accessories that claim to shield the head
from those emissions reduce risks. Some products that
claim to shield the user from RF absorption use special
phone cases, while others involve nothing more than a
metallic accessory attached to the phone. Studies have
shown that these products generally do not work as
advertised. Unlike °×hand-free°± kits, these so-called
°×shields°± may interfere with proper operation of the
phone. The phone may be forced to boost its power to
compensate, leading to an increase in RF absorption. In
February 2002, the Federal trade Commission (FTC)
charged two companies that sold devices that claimed
to protect wireless phone users from radiation with
making false and unsubstantiated claims. According to
FTC, these defendants lacked a reasonable basis to
substantiate their claim.
What about wireless phone interference
with medical equipment?
• Radio frequency energy (RF) from wireless phones
can interact with some electronic devices. For this
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reason, FDA helped develop a detailed test method
to measure electromagnetic interference (EMI) of
implanted cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators
from wireless telephones. This test method is now
part of a standard sponsored by the Association for
the Advancement of Medical instrumentation
(AAMI). The final draft, a joint effort by FDA,
medical device manufacturers, and many other
groups, was completed in late 2000. This standard
will allow manufacturers to ensure that cardiac
pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from wireless
phone EMI. FDA has tested wireless phones and
helped develop a voluntary standard sponsored by
the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
(IEEE). This standard specifies test methods and
performance requirements for hearing aids and
wireless phones so that no interference occurs when
a person uses a compatible phone and a compatible
hearing aid at the same time. This standard was
approved by the IEEE in 2000.FDA continues to
monitor the use of wireless phones for possible
interactions with other medical devices. Should
harmful interference be found to occur, FDA will
conduct testing to assess the interference and