Apple magnetic charger, smartwatch may deactivate Medtronic ICD

JANUARY 13, 2021 BY NANCY CROTTI

A new study in the Heart Rhythm Journal showed a magnetic charger for the iPhone 12 was able to deactivate a Medtronic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).

The iPhone 12 has a circular array of magnets deployed around a central charging coil, making it compatible with the company’s wireless “MagSafe” accessories, according to the study published Jan. 4, 2021. In the study, approved by an Institutional Review Board, researchers brought an iPhone 12 close to a ICD patient’s left chest area and noted that ICD therapy immediately stopped. “This was reproduced multiple times with different positions of the phone over the pocket,” the authors wrote.

Original Article: https://www.massdevice.com/apple-magnetic-charger-smartwatch-may-deactivate-medtronic-icd/