Development of Assessment Methodology for Active Implantable Medical Device EMI Toward Safety Integrity

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K04504
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 21060:Electron device and electronic equipment-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Hikage Takashi 北海道大学, 情報科学研究院, 助教 (30312391)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 体内植込み型医療機器 / EMI / 電磁界シミュレーション / 干渉電圧

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Wireless devices such as mobile phones, wifi, and wireless power transfer systems are essential to creating the ubiquitous and universal network society. These devices emit electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that can potentially cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) for other electronic devices.
The EMI on active implantable medical devices (AIMDs) such as implantable cardiac pacemakers and cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) is one of the most important issues needing detailed investigation.This is because EMI on AIMDs can occur even with the potentially lower EMF level provided by the international safety standards for RF exposure.
In this study, an interference voltage sensor for AIMD EMI assessment was developed using electrical-to-optical converter technique. Furthermore, measurement of the interference voltage of a pacemaker in the RF frequency band for several kinds of wireless devices including newly developed wireless power transfer using the measurement setup is demonstrated.

Free Research Field

環境電磁工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

植込み型医療器の干渉特性に関しては実機による評価試験により行われているが，具体的な干渉信号の分析については学術報告がほとんどない．ペースメーカ/ICD実機を用いることなく詳細な干渉データの取得を可能とする測定技術開発を目的とした本研究により，擬似ペースメーカによる測定系が構築できた．汎用性および測定感度向上が実現されたことで，植込み型医療器電磁干渉についての要因分析に寄与する試験データを新たに評価・分析可能となった．
これら成果と得られたデータについては，今後，電磁波工学・環境電磁工学・安全工学の横断的な分野における研究での活用が期待され，学術的および社会的な意義が大きいものと考える．