PmceedingE of the 25" Annual International Conferenceof the IEEE EMBS

Cancun, Mexico. September 17-21,2003

Methodology for Identification of Susceptible Areas to Electromagnetic

Interference in the Hospital
S.C.B. Cabral, S.S. Miihlen
Department of Biomedical Engineering. School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, State University of Campinas,
Silo Paulo - Brazil.
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is the
functional alteration in equipment due its exposition to
electromagnetic fields. I n Hospitals many patient care units
have a high concentration o f electrical and electronic medical
devices, most of them are susceptible to EMI. The study of
interference and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in
medical devices involves the use of measurement instruments
and controlled environments, which most of Brazilian hospitals
cannot afford. However, the occurrence of functional
alterations in a medical device may canse serious damages to
the patient therefore this problem cannot be ignored.
The aim of this work is to propose a simple methodology to
identify patient care units in hospital that are susceptible to
radiated EMI. When these environments are identified and
characterized, preventive actions can be performed.
Abstracf-

Keywords-Electromagnetic
hospital

TABLE 1
CHARACTERISTICS W E D FOR CLASSIFICATION OF
STUDIED AREAS.
Environment ChwaeteristieS

Risk Clarritiestion

Number o f life support equipment

interference, medical device,

I. INTRODUCTION
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is the functional
alteration in equipment due to its exposition to
electromagnetic fields [I]. In Hospitals many patient care
units have a high concentration of electrical and electronic
medical devices, most of them are susceptible to EM1 [Z].
The study of interference and electromagnetic compatibility
(EMC) in medical devices involves the use of measurement
instruments and controlled environments, which most of
Brazilian hospitals cannot afford [3]. However, the
occurrence of functional alterations in a medical device may
cause serious damages to the patient therefore this problem
cannot be ignored.
The aim of this work is to propose a simple methodology to
identify patient care units in hospital that are susceptible to
radiated EMI. When these environments are identified and
characterized, preventive actions can he performed.

A unit can be classified as 50% medium risk and 50% high

risk, in this case the worst classification should be
considered (high risk).
After the environment classification, a preliminary
immunity test was performed in order to confirm the
classification. This test consisted of exposing some medical
devices typically used in a neonatal intensive care unit to
electric fields produced by a cellular phone operating on its
maximum power.
The electric field strength produced by the cellular phone
operating on that condition was measured; the results are
shown in figure 1. The emission power during a normal call
was also measured at different distances from the antenna,
starting at 10 cm to avoid measurements on the near field.

II[. RESULTS

11. METHODOLOGY

The methodology consists on to research the main

characteristics of the environments that can be related to
EM1 occurrence. Table 1 displays the criteria adopted in the
classification of the studied areas.

0-7803-7789-3/03/%17.0002003 IEEE

This risk classification methodology is been applied at the

Center of Integral Care for Women Health of State
University of Campinas, :and table 2 below shows the results
of the neonatal ICU.

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TABLE 3
RESULTS OF ELECTRO MEDICAL DEVICES
IMMUNITY TESTS.

TABLE 2
CLASSIFICATION OF EM1 RISK AT THE NEONATAL
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.

Medical Device

Environment Characteristics

Public access to the studied area

lUse of intentional RF sources in the environment

IProximity of electromagnetic fields generators

Medium
High

Low

In agreement with the proposed methodology, the neonatal

ICU was classified as high risk of EM1 incident, because 6
of 8 classifying risk characteristics were at High. All
medical devices presents were considered, despite if they
were or not being used when the study was carried out (the
worst situation was considered).
Figure 1 shows electric fields strength measured with the
cellular phone operating at its maximum power (600 mW).
The carrier frequency was 835 MHz.

The immunity tests showed that about 80% of all tested

medical devices was susceptible to the electric fields of
cellular phones, presenting one or more perceptible
functional alterations.
IV. DISCUSSION

m
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35 -

105

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Table 3 shows the medical devices that had the immunity

tested, and the results.

Despite the simplicity of the EM1 study reported on this

work, the main objective was to alert the Brazilian
authorities and hospitals for the EM1 risks, important data
on medical equipment EMC was assessed, as well as the
limits of the in force EMC standards regarding to the
environment conditions.
Even certified equipment, when working together may
present EM1 risks depending on environment characteristics.
Once they are identified, it is possible to cany out actions to
reduce the EM1 incident probability.
As the neonatal intensive care unit was classified as being at
high risk of EMI, immunity tests with some present
medical devices were performed in order to confirm that
classification, once the entrance of people with cellular
phones in this unit was free.
Data on Table 3 show us that a considerable amount of
medical devices presented in that unit were susceptible to
the electric fields produced by the cellular phones. The
compatibility standard in force in Brazil establishes the
immunity limit of 3 V/m to all medical devices [4]. From
figure 1 one may see that cellular phones operating at
maximum power produce electric fields strength greater
than that limit (but even during a normal call the cellular
phone may reach the maximum power sometimes), so a
risky situation persists.

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V. CONCLUSION
The uncomplicated methodology proposed here allows
identifying the possible environment risks. AAer
identification of the EM1 risk level, some technical andor
administrative actions can be performed as, for instance, the
restriction to entrance of intentional RF sources (as mobile
telephones). Ideally only compatiblelimmune medical
equipment should work together, however this solution is
not affordable in the hospital reality of Brazil and other
emergent countries, so creativity, simple methods and
managing solutions are necessary to ensure the patients
safety.

REFERENCES
[I]

Y. David, A. R. S. Bukhari, W. D. Paperman, Management of

Electromagnetic Interference at a Hospital in Joumol of
Clinical Engineering, pp.95-103 marchlapril, 2000.

[2] S. M. Boyd, W. S. Boivin, J. N . Coletta, C. D. Harris, L. M.

Neunaber, Documenting Radiated Electromagnetic Field
Strenght in the Hospital Environment in Journol of Clinical
Engineering, pp. 124.132 marchlapril, 1999.
[3]

S. B. Cabral, S. S. Mohlen, lnterferhcia Eletramagnetica em

Equipamento Medico Ocasionada por Telefonia Celular, 11
Congresso Latino-americano de Engenharia Biamedica, Havana,
Cuba, 2001.

[4] ABNTNBR-IEC 60601-1-2: Noma Colateral: Compatibilidade

Eletromagnetica, Presc@o e Ensaios, SHo Paula, 3 - 12, 1996.

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