From MSNBC:iPods can cause cardiac implantable pacemakers to malfunction by interfering with the electromagnetic equipment monitoring the heart, according to a study presented by a 17-year-old high school student to a meeting of heart specialists on Thursday.
The study tested the effect of the portable music devices on 100 patients, whose mean age was 77, outfitted with pacemakers. Electrical interference was detected half of the time when the iPod was held just 2 inches from the patient’s chest for 5 to 10 seconds.
We say: Whenever there is a new technology, there is always a concern that stuff may not play well together. With all of the electronics inside modern pacemakers, it's certainly not a great idea to have a magnetic hard drive of an iPod spinning just an inch or two away from it. I suspect, although the article doesn't state, that a flash memory based iPod would be a safer alternative, but like everything else, more research is needed.
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