Association for the Advancement of
Medical instrumentation (AAMI). The
fi nal draft, a joint effort by the FDA,
medical device manufacturers, and
many other groups, was completed
in late 2000. This standard will allow
manufacturers to ensure that cardiac
pacemakers and defi brillators are
safe from wireless phone EMI. The
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
specifi es 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. The
FDA continues to monitor the use of
wireless phones for possible
interactions with other medical
devices. Should harmful interference
be found to occur, the FDA will
conduct testing to assess the
interference and work to resolve the
problem.
12. Where can I fi nd additional
information?
For additional information, please
refer to the following resources:
FDA web page on wireless phones
(http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/phones/in
dex.html)
Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) RF Safety
Program
(http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety)
International Commission on
Nonlonizing
Radiation Protection
(http://www.icnirp.de)
World Health Organization (WHO)
International EMF Project
(http://www.who.int/emf)
National Radiological Protection
Board (UK)
(http://www.nrpb.org.uk/)
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