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European Society of Anaesthesiology

Title

June 10, 2007 – European Society of Anaesthesiology

Successful Electromagnetic Shielding of Implanted Spinal Cord Stimulators from IH Cooking Heaters
Joint Research Team from Hamamatsu University School of Medicine Presents at ESA

Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology: Hiroshi Igarashi, Yoko Kume, Shigehito Sato
Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Reliability and Life Science Division: Motoichi Matsumoto
Medical Aid Co., Ltd., COO: Hideki Matsui

Documents

English Version ・ Japanese Version

Implanted Spinal Cord Stimulators (SCS) are advanced medical devices used to relieve chronic pain unresponsive to conventional treatments, such as back pain and fibromyalgia. As home-use grows, shielding them completely from electromagnetic interference becomes structurally difficult, making them susceptible to malfunctions. In a joint effort, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine and Medical Aid Co., Ltd. (Izumi City, Osaka) developed an electromagnetic shielding garment for SCS users, which was presented at the ESA in Munich, Germany on June 10 and received high praise as a significant contribution to future research.

1. Development Background and Conference Presentation

  • (a) An SCS user at Hamamatsu University Hospital experienced uncomfortable sensations (e.g., numbness in arms and chest) when using an IH cooking heater. The symptoms disappeared when the device was turned off.
  • (b) The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has issued safety notices regarding devices like IH cookers and anti-theft systems.
  • (c) In response to the patient's case, Dr. Igarashi from Hamamatsu University approached Medical Aid Co., a developer of electromagnetic shielding garments, initiating joint research in June 2006.
  • (d) Medical Aid had already commercialized shielding garments for pregnant women and pacemaker users. These garments use EMSsheet — a multilayer material composed of high-permeability magnetic sheets and conductive films — to shield 20–50kHz low-frequency magnetic fields by 99.9%, despite being only 0.6mm thick.
  • (e) The garment’s effectiveness was validated through lab tests using human-body phantoms and three rounds of clinical testing with real patients. The EMSsheet was refined after each test until full protection was achieved.
  • (f) The research was presented on June 10 in Munich at the ESA and received high recognition.

2. Rationale Behind Development

In today’s society, increasing exposure to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones, household appliances, IH cooking heaters, security systems, and IC cards in transportation raises the risk of medical device malfunctions. SCS and pacemaker users face challenges in their daily and professional lives. Wearing electromagnetic shielding garments may help mitigate these risks and improve their quality of life (QOL) in both personal and occupational settings.

Contact Information

  • Prof. Hiroshi Igarashi, Clinical Medical Education, Hamamatsu University Hospital
  • Address: 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu City, 431-3192, Japan
  • Website: Clinical Medical Education Department