Speaker
Description
The increasing prevalence of Active Implantable Medical Devices (AIMDs), such as pacemakers, raises concerns regarding their susceptibility to electromagnetic interference (EMI), particularly in occupational environments where exposure could be relatively high. While unipolar pacemaker leads are well-documented as being sensitive to magnetic field, the mechanisms of interaction between pacemaker bipolar leads and electromagnetic fields are less understood. This study aims to develop an analytical model to describe this interaction.
Unlike unipolar leads, bipolar ones are supposed to be more sensitive to electric fields than magnetic fields. The study formulates an analytical model based on a capacitor analogy, where the two terminals are constituted by the two electrodes. From this analytical model, a transfer function, which relates the induced voltage to the incident electric field, was proposed.
To validate the proposed model, numerical simulations were conducted using CST Studio Suite, and experimental measurements were performed in a controlled environment. The results demonstrated a good correlation between the analytical model, numerical simulations, and measurements.
The hypothesis that a lead in bipolar mode is more sensitive to the electric field than to the magnetic field has been confirmed. This research provides a better understanding of the interaction mechanism between electromagnetic field and bipolar lead and could lead to more appropriate standard test methods or to the design of devices that are less sensitive to electromagnetic fields. Furthermore, the model developed here can also be generalised to other types of leads such as neurostimulator, cochlear implant or electrocardiograph ones.
