around 2 cm (0.78 inches) away for all of the Apple products; and
2.9 cm (1.14 inches) away for the Microsoft Surface Pen.
While the tests results showed the maximum distance for a possible ICD interaction, researchers said for safety the minimal distance is between 0.8 cm (0.31 inches) for the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation, and 1.8 cm (0.71 inches) for the Microsoft Surface Pen and the opened charging case of the Apple AirPods Pro .


“The public needs to be aware of the potential risks of portable electronic devices in addition to the iPhone 12 Pro Max that may affect anyone with an ICD,” said study co-author Sven Knecht, D.Sc., a research engineer at the Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel at University Hospital Basel, University of Basel in Switzerland. “What is most concerning is that magnets are being used in more and more portable electronic devices, and with so many magnets around us, the risk to cardiac patients is even greater.”

“These devices can cause a problem when carried in your shirt or jacket pocket in front of the chest, as well as when you are lying on the couch and resting the electronic device on your chest, or if you fall asleep with the electronic device,” Féry added. “The main thing to remember is that any electronic device may be a danger, especially ones with a magnet inside.”

In the future, the researchers plan to focus on testing e-cigarettes, other pencils for tablets and other portable electronic devices for their potential magnetic interaction with cardiac devices. “With so many copycat products and accessories available, there may be a problem for the public to know which products pose increased risks,” Knecht said.

A major limitation of the study was that it was not conducted on ICDs implanted in patients. “In people with ICDs, the impact of the magnetic interaction will depend on the individual and their overall health,” Knecht said. “This research was the first step in identifying the importance of assessing some products for safety. The next step is to confirm these interactions by testing implanted devices in volunteer patients who are at the hospital for routine tests.”

The American Heart Association recommends keeping cell phones at least six inches away from ICDs or pacemakers by using it on the ear opposite from the implantation and to avoid keeping the cell phone in a front chest pocket.

“The American Heart Association and the manufacturers of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators have long recommended that magnets be kept away from these implanted devices. A recent Journal of the American Heart Association study reported that the magnetic field induced in the receiver coil of the iPhone 12 Pro Max can result in clinically identifiable magnet interference in pacemakers and ICDs,” said N.A. Mark A. Estes, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Program at the Heart and Vascular Institute of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and an American Heart Association volunteer. “The current study extends observations on magnetic field interactions with even more devices containing magnets. Patients with cardiac electronic implantable devices should be instructed to keep all electronic devices that can generate a magnetic field several inches from their pacemakers or ICDs.“

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