Interference to medical equipment from mobile phones

Abstract

Cellular mobile phones may interfere with hospital equipment. We irradiated five representative pieces of equipment using simulated phone signals and frequencies. Two (an oximeter and a syringe pump) were immune to electric fields of up to 40 V m⁻¹. The most susceptible was a physiological monitor which showed effects at 10 V m⁻¹. None of the equipment was affected by fields that could be produced at over one metre from a 2 W mobile phone.