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I don't think this is so much an Apple problem as a medical device manufacturer problem. These devices disable themselves in the presence of magnetic fields. Ma

I don't think this is so much an Apple problem as a medical device manufacturer problem. These devices disable themselves in the presence of magnetic fields. Maybe device manufacturers should consider a different disabling technology. Or alert users when their device is disabled.

TheJoeMan 5y ago
I agree, the article is conflating issues. However I would not have been put off by a small pictogram in the iPhone box to not place it in your shirt pocket over your pacemaker. By remaining silent on the issue, confused grandparents are definitely going to be posting on “the facebooks” about run away the second you see an iphone
- karmicthreat 5y ago
  Not really sure what that pictogram would look like to convey that easily. There are safety instructions included though that mention medical device interference mitigation. Maybe the easiest solution would be just put an NFC tag under the skin above the implant and have phones trigger an alert if they see it.
orangepanda 5y ago
Is there a better non-connected alternative though? I doubt an app would be set to the same standards as pacemaker hardware.
- amelius 5y ago
  A knocking-sequence using magnetic fields?
- karmicthreat 5y ago
  There are bluetooth enabled pacemakers and electrocardiologist can already wirelessly connect to pacemakers. I'm sure the industry can come up with something.
  - corty 5y ago
    Pacemaker (and other medical devices, insulin pumps, neural stimulators, defibrilators) disabling or safe mode via magnet will not go away, even with more bluetooth-enabled devices. First, a magnet is easily available in any EMT's backpack for exactly that reason, and many households might also have one somewhere. Second, bluetooth control apps are extremely device-specific, so you have to find out which device you want to talk to first, then get the ultra-special, secret, expensive app from the manufacturer. Third, you need to pair your bluetooth pacemaker. How do you do that, you ask? You tap thrice with a magnet to get it into pairing mode... (or something, it depends on the device, but almost always you do something with a magnet). Disabling is just putting the magnet permanently onto the reed contact, and that won't change because every EMT knows to do that. Other control functions are some tap-pattern.
deleted 5y ago
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TheJoeMan 5y ago

I agree, the article is conflating issues. However I would not have been put off by a small pictogram in the iPhone box to not place it in your shirt pocket over your pacemaker. By remaining silent on the issue, confused grandparents are definitely going to be posting on “the facebooks” about run away the second you see an iphone

karmicthreat 5y ago
Not really sure what that pictogram would look like to convey that easily. There are safety instructions included though that mention medical device interference mitigation. Maybe the easiest solution would be just put an NFC tag under the skin above the implant and have phones trigger an alert if they see it.

orangepanda 5y ago

Is there a better non-connected alternative though? I doubt an app would be set to the same standards as pacemaker hardware.

amelius 5y ago
A knocking-sequence using magnetic fields?
karmicthreat 5y ago
There are bluetooth enabled pacemakers and electrocardiologist can already wirelessly connect to pacemakers. I'm sure the industry can come up with something.
- corty 5y ago
  Pacemaker (and other medical devices, insulin pumps, neural stimulators, defibrilators) disabling or safe mode via magnet will not go away, even with more bluetooth-enabled devices. First, a magnet is easily available in any EMT's backpack for exactly that reason, and many households might also have one somewhere. Second, bluetooth control apps are extremely device-specific, so you have to find out which device you want to talk to first, then get the ultra-special, secret, expensive app from the manufacturer. Third, you need to pair your bluetooth pacemaker. How do you do that, you ask? You tap thrice with a magnet to get it into pairing mode... (or something, it depends on the device, but almost always you do something with a magnet). Disabling is just putting the magnet permanently onto the reed contact, and that won't change because every EMT knows to do that. Other control functions are some tap-pattern.

deleted 5y ago

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