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requirements regardless of whether they are used against
the head or against the body. Either configuration should
result in compliance with the safety limit.
7. 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.
8. 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.
FDA has tested hearing aids for interference from
handheld 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
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