There’s a possibility, depending the cables and interface types in EUT, that
the 61000-4-6 test did not apply much current to the device.

 

Ari Honkala

SGS Fimko Oy

Finland

 

________________________________

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ken Javor
Sent: 26. kesäkuuta 2008 18:14
To: Untitled
Subject: Re: EMC in the news: RFID & Medical

 

Comment (e) is unrealistic.  Assuming 61000-4-6 was applied, the amount of
power required to directly inject 1, 3 or 10 Volts oc into 150 Ohms is well
above the radiated power from an rf id device. 
Ken Javor

Phone: (256) 650-5261



________________________________

From: "Conway, Patrick R (Houston)" <[email protected]>
List-Post: [email protected]
List-Post: [email protected]
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:17:00 +0000
To: Gert Gremmen <[email protected]>, "Rudd, Adam"
<[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Conversation: EMC in the news: RFID & Medical
Subject: RE: EMC in the news: RFID & Medical

Gert-
    You mention one possible reason for the test results is that the EUT's
have immunity deficits.
       I agree, that is one possibility.  

   here are a few other possibilities:   
        (BTW- not affiliated in any way with medical devices nor with, all
comments OOO )

 
b)    Could it be a systemic testing error?
            Was a shield room used?   
            Were the ambients controlled and eliminated?
            Were the devices connected to a patient simulator?
            Did the test engineer have his personal GSM phone "OFF"?  etc. 
(...crazier things have happened.)

 
c)    Maybe the EUT are old.
            Through outdated design specs perhaps RFID proximity was not a
consideration during their design.
           And yet, in today's hospitals, the two types of devices may be in
close proximity.
           If this is the case then the study has done a great service to the
community by uncovering a problem that was unknown.

 
d)    Maybe the EUT are old (not a repeat) 
           Through many years of use perhaps once immune equipment has lost
some of their designed immunity?
           Again- if this is the case this study may have uncovered a
previously unknown problem.

    
e)    Is it possible for an RF ID device to overwhelm the immunity levels of
the EUT?
        If a medical device is tested at 10 V/m and an RFID device TXout is in
the mW range- is it possible for a RFID mW transmitter to generate 10 V/m?
        Perhaps.
        For instance- since an RFID device operating at 125 kHz in not
transmitting in the classic sense, then there may be near-field resonant
effects that are not previously understood in the medical device immunity
requirements?
       

 
   It seems that we, as professionals in this field, have the unique ability
to analyze these reports like no other community can.  I wonder if we will
find the answers to the large number of questions raised by the article.  

 
 
All comments OOO.
Best Regards, 

Patrick. 
[email protected] 

 

________________________________

From: Gert Gremmen [mailto:[email protected]]
<mailto:[email protected]%5d>  
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 2:57 AM
To: Conway, Patrick R (Houston); Rudd, Adam; [email protected]
Subject: RE: EMC in the news: RFID & Medical

The report was produced by TNO, a Dutch private organization
(http://www.tno.nl/content.cfm?&context
markten&content=markt_persbericht&laag1=189&item_id=200806250026&Taal=2
<http://www.tno.nl/content.cfm?&amp;con
ext=markten&amp;content=markt_persberic
t&amp;laag1=189&amp;item_id=200806250026&amp;Taal=2>
<http://www.tno.nl/content.cfm?&context
markten&content=markt_persbericht&laag1=189&item_id=200806250026&Taal=2>  )
 
and some results are available here:
 
http://www.amc.nl/?pid=5266
 
Manufacturers name and equipment type included.
 
Please note that the energy levels of RFID are in the milliwatt range,
so all problems are to be categorized as immunity deficits.
 
 
It is astonishing that the security of healthy persons (like car drivers) 
is taken much more seriously (by car manufacturers for example )
as the security  of people with bad health like in hospitals.
Most medical equipment is tested  at 10 V/meter or less.
where critical car parts must  be tested up to 200V/m.
 
Cars are to be sold at low prices (relatively) , medical equipment
at sky-high costs.  It seems that emc quality is the inverse of the
costs of equipment. Where much attention is given to
reliability and electrical safety of medical equipment,
emc is still  neglected. 
Note that this investigation was made in a Dutch
University Hospital;
On  European soil , where immunity requirements have been 
virtually law since 1996 !!!!
 
The lack of EMC care might be related to the fact that
medical accidents are easy to cover up, (more easy then car accidents)
and liability of medical staff is difficult to prove, let alone
the liability of a medical equipment manufacturer.
See the discussion on the Therac-25.
 
Gert Gremmen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Van: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
<mailto:[email protected]%5d>  Namens Conway, Patrick R (Houston)
Verzonden: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:08 PM
Aan: Rudd, Adam; [email protected]
Onderwerp: RE: EMC in the news: RFID & Medical

...and if you put four of them in a circle, you can pop corn.  :)

 

 

Best Regards, 
Patrick. 
[email protected] 

 
  

________________________________


From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
<mailto:[email protected]%5d>  On Behalf Of Rudd, Adam
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 7:19 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: EMC in the news: RFID & Medical
“The latest research, conducted at Vrije University in Amsterdam, tested the
effect of holding both "passive" and powered RFIDs close to 41 medical
devices, including ventilators, syringe pumps, dialysis machines and
pacemakers.

A total of 123 tests, three on each machine, were carried out, and 34 produced
an "incident" in which the RFID appeared to have an effect - 24 of which were
deemed either "significant" or "hazardous".

In some tests, RFIDs either switched off or changed the settings on mechanical
ventilators, completely stopped the working of syringe pumps, caused external
pacemakers to malfunction, and halted dialysis machines.

The device did not have to be held right up to the machine to make this happen
- some "hazardous" incidents happened when the RFID was more than 10 inches
away.”

--http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7471008.stm
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7471008.stm>
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7471008.stm>  

Best Regards,

Adam Rudd

Electrical Engineer (EMC)

NCR Corporation, RHSS

Duluth, GA

(770) 495-2825

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