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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 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.
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