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(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A well-publicized report suggesting iPods may interfere with cardiac pacemakers is being debunked by a new study.

The report stemmed from the case of one man who became dizzy after listening to his iPod. When cardiologists tested the iPod during the man’s examination, they found it did interfere with his pacemaker. The report was published, and calls for warning labels on portable music and video devices ensued.

Now, researchers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration weigh in with a formal study showing no such interference is likely. The investigators tested four different iPod models, including a fourth generation iPod, a video iPod, an iPod Nano, and an iPod Shuffle, measuring the magnetic fields produced by the devices and the voltages these fields might produce in a pacemaker.

Results showed the peak magnetic field produced by the iPods was just 0.2 millionths of a Tesla, which is considered hundreds of times lower than the level necessary to interfere with a pacemaker. The finding was confirmed by the voltage levels seen within the pacemaker, which were well below detectable levels.

“Based on the observations of our in-vitro study we conclude that no interference effects can occur in pacemakers exposed to the iPods we tested,” study author Howard Bassen was quoted as saying.

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SOURCE: BioMedical Engineering, published online Feb. 1, 2008

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