The effect of radar on cardiac pacemakers

The susceptibility of 16 noncompetitive cardiac pacemakers to radiation from a powerful radar system was investigated in the laboratory and in the vicinity of its prototype. From comparative in vitro tests in air, fat, water, and saline it was concluded that only tests in fat or air represent the worst case condition after implantation. In air all pacemakers showed signs of interference at pulse power densities between 0.025 mW/cm2 and 62.5 mW/CM2. Three of six implanted pacemakers were triggered or inhibited depending on their mode of operation when tested at a location 1.2 km away from the radar station by the radar beam occurring every 5.5 sec. Because interfering radiation can enter the pacemaker circuitry directly along the electrode, acting as an antenna, metal encapsulation of the pulse generator does not provide sufficient shielding against microwave radiation. However, pacemakers modified by metal encapsulation and a low-pass filter at the electrode remained undistrubed at pulse power densities of greater than 10 W/cm2 when tested under worst case condition in air.