Pacemaker

Facemask

by piglet22 - 2023-10-10 06:34:30

You have to get very close to a pacemaker for a magnet to affect it's working.

If it's a small rare earth type and most are now, 5-cm and less would risk switching the mode,

It depends on the type of magnetic switch in the pacemaker and it's worth finding out.

It can be a reed switch which is mechanical or a Hall effect sensor which is electronic,

The reed type needs a strong magnetic field within 1 or 2 centimetres to operate. A Hall switch is more sensitive, but still needs to be close. In my experience, both types need a strong field within 2 cm to work reliably. Reed switches are either on or off, Hall sensors can dither.

Magnetic fixings are great if you don't have a pacemaker, but manufacturers don't think that far ahead.

It's not a great choice and something like Velcro would have been better.

I would say that in normal use, it wouldn't be a problem, but given that you use it in sleep, it's a small risk.

If the PM did switch, it's not permanent and goes back to normal running when the magnet is removed.

I wouldn't want unnecessary magnets around me so maybe consider changing it.

One factor to take into account is that magnets on their own have a stronger field pattern than magnets in use, so the mask unfitted is more of a risk than when fitted. It's why very strong magnets have things called keepers, a piece of steel, to reduce the magnetic field size.

The short answer is that unless someone does some very expensive investigations into the field strength of the facemask, you won't get a definitive or safe answer.

Buried somewhere in the PM technical specification, there will be a figure for reliable PM switching, but it won't mean a lot in practical terms.