Rare Earth Magnets & Pacemakers

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Shayla

Shayla

WOW Framer
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People with pacemakers are supposed to stay a certain distance away from operating microwave ovens.
And, to de-activate pacemakers, they wave a wand of some sort over the top of it. Perhaps there's a chip inside,
that communicates with the pacemaker, but these things have me wondering. I wonder how strong of a magnet
it takes, for avoidance to become necessary. Some are used in picture framing, and this has come to mind.
Both, for framers with pacemakers, working on projects, and later, viewers.

I've thought of it before, but it came to mind again, when I searched scarf clips. That led to the world
of hijab magnets, and left me wondering if hugging Great Aunt Edith should come with a warning.
 
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This is not medical advise! However working in an ER, I sort of doubt that the ones we use for framing could cause an issue. We use dounut shaped magnets a little bigger then your palm and they have to be laid directly on the device to shut it down. They are not all that sensitive for a good reason. Also depending on the device they may only shut down the defib part of it and not the pacer part, not that you want either.
Eric
 
Eric A said:
This is not medical advise! However working in an ER, I sort of doubt that the ones we use for framing could cause an issue. We use dounut shaped magnets a little bigger then your palm and they have to be laid directly on the device to shut it down. They are not all that sensitive for a good reason. Also depending on the device they may only shut down the defib part of it and not the pacer part, not that you want either.
Eric
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Thank you for posting. While we're wise to always seek further confirmation, your experience as an EMT is so helpful.
If I could wave a magic wand, the salaries of nurses, aides and EMT's would be switched with those of movie stars.
 
The batteries in a pacemaker/defibrillator wear out after a few years and I've had 4 replacements since 2007. With every new replacement, the devices become more sophisticated, more reliable, and less sensitive to interference. A decade ago I wouldn't have dared to walk through an airport security scanner, but that's no longer a problem.

I've been using rare-earth (neodymium) magnets for decades. One time, I ordered a big, heavy box; about 200 of various sizes. When the order was delivered, I lifted it with both hands and held it against my chest to carry it into the shop. That was the only time my heart went pitty-pat in the presence of magnets.
 
Jim Miller said:
The batteries in a pacemaker/defibrillator wear out after a few years and I've had 4 replacements since 2007. With every new replacement, the devices become more sophisticated, more reliable, and less sensitive to interference. A decade ago I wouldn't have dared to walk through an airport security scanner, but that's no longer a problem.

I've been using rare-earth (neodymium) magnets for decades. One time, I ordered a big, heavy box; about 200 of various sizes. When the order was delivered, I lifted it with both hands and held it against my chest to carry it into the shop. That was the only time my heart went pitty-pat in the presence of magnets.
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Thanks for sharing this, and it's great to hear that they've improved so much.
I had figured that one sure holdout to avoid was MRI's. Just trotted off and found this.

MRI is safe for most people with pacemakers and defibrillators - Harvard Health

MRI was considered dangerous for people with heart devices like pacemakers and defibrillators that were implanted after 2000, but researchers found MRI is unlikely to disrupt the devices’ circuit...
www.health.harvard.edu www.health.harvard.edu
 
Shayla said:
Thanks for sharing this, and it's great to hear that they've improved so much.
I had figured that one sure holdout to avoid was MRI's. Just trotted off and found this.

MRI is safe for most people with pacemakers and defibrillators - Harvard Health

MRI was considered dangerous for people with heart devices like pacemakers and defibrillators that were implanted after 2000, but researchers found MRI is unlikely to disrupt the devices’ circuit...
www.health.harvard.edu www.health.harvard.edu
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My dad had two MRI's with his. It was a huge hassle to get done though. There had to be a cardiologist and at tech from the pacer company there while they did it.
 
This is the size magnet it takes directly over the device to shut an AICD down.
IMG_6848.webp
 
Eric A said:
This is the size magnet it takes directly over the device to shut an AICD down.
View attachment 50700
Click to expand...
Thank you, for sharing this. About a week before she passed, (after a debilitating stroke, following a fall and hip fracture), we had them turn off a dear family member's pacemaker. It was an agonizing time, but we did so to honor her wishes. She was asleep when it happened, and we stepped out of the room. A kind lady from cardiology came up and did it, then left. We didn't know if that would be the end, but her heart kept on ticking. She passed about a week later, at age 91, having lived a full life.

People sometimes feel that it's 'playing God' to turn off a pacemaker or a ventilator. But, if anything is playing God, it's turning them on in the first place. Such devices can work wonders, but then, it felt right to let her body come to the end of living , when it was ready.
 
Interesting.

I wear a CPAP and the default "buckle" for the mask is magnetic (it's not all that strong). Every time I put in a replacement order they ask if I or anyone that sleeps in the same bed as me has a pacemaker.
 
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