Airport
security body scanners and implanted electronic medical devices such as
pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and neurostimulators
During
their travels air passengers will encounter electromagnetic radiation from a
number of sources, including body scanners, metal detectors and screening
wands, as well as from the sun due to flying at high altitude. Electromagnetic
radiation presents minimal risks to those with implanted electronic devices.
The recently introduced airport security body scanners send high frequency
electromagnetic waves over the body’s surface. These electromagnetic waves pass
through clothing and are reflected by the skin and do not enter the body. The
energy reflected back is used to create an image of the person’s body and items
within their clothing. They are intended to detect items on the body’s surface,
not within the body.
MHRA
advice
The MHRA
is not aware of any evidence of interference problems between airport security
body scanners and implanted electronic medical devices. If you have an
implanted pacemaker, ICD or neurostimulator you can use airport security body
scanners. You should walk through metal detectors normally and not wait within
the detection zone. As with mobile phones, you should maintain a distance of 6
inches (15 centimetres) between the screening wand and the implanted device.
Patients are reminded to carry their registration card with their device
details on to assist airport staff when passing through security checks.
Although the flight itself does not present any increased risks of interference
to the implant, be aware that you may find yourself in closer proximity to
wireless technology on board an aircraft than you would on land. For further
information relating to your own specific implanted device please contact your
local cardiac centre, doctor or the manufacturer of your device.
Background
information
There are
two main types of body scanner in use at present: backscatter X-ray scanners,
and terahertz or millimetre wave scanners.
Backscatter
X-ray scanners
These
systems use low energy X-rays that are reflected off the skin to form an image.
The amount of radiation emitted during a body scan is typically 40 to 80 times
less than the radiation experienced during the flight itself (depending on the
length of the flight). This is approximately 100 times less than that from one
day of natural background radiation [1], and around 1,000,000 times lower than
that known to interfere with active implants [2,3].
Terahertz
or millimetre wave scanners
These use radio waves, which
can penetrate clothing. They can be either active or passive. Passive devices
use the energy naturally emitted by the human body to form an image. Active
devices produce radio waves that are reflected off the skin to form an image.
The energy emitted by these systems is around 100,000 times less than a mobile
phone transmission [4]. The frequency of the electromagnetic radiation used in
terahertz or millimetre wave scanners and backscatter X-ray scanners does not
pass through the skin and is not known to interfere with pacemaker, ICD or
neurostimulator technology
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
(MHRA).
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