Blink cameras

Insights?

by AgentX86 - 2024-04-23 22:27:17

Anything regarding "personal medical devices" in the literature any electronic device is lawyer dictated boilerplate (a get out of court free pass) .  There is nothing that you're likely to come across in your house that should interfere with your pacemaker. If it is interferring, it would be really odd, but I can't tell you what you feel. 

I might try blind taste test.  Have someone go in the other room, out of your sight, then randomly turn the offending device on and off.  You tell them when it's on, and see if you're right. They can't talk and they're out of sight, so you don't get any hints. If there is a high correlation, move to the next level in your investigation.

Good idea Agent!

by Lavender - 2024-04-24 07:11:58

The cameras are no longer at my house but I could do a test one day when visiting the house where they are installed. 
 

I DO know that when I left the room where the cameras were, I felt normal soon again and never went back into that room until the cameras were removed 😉

It was so weird that it happened just as they were turned on. 

Lavender

by piglet22 - 2024-04-24 08:37:45

What exactly are you worried about?

Are you concerned that external WiFi or Bluetooth might in some way alter the settings on your device, or that the power of the camera radio frequency emissions might affect the pacing?

I doubt that in normal domestic circumstances, that either would be of any consequence.

For starters, everywhere you go is going to be full of radio transmissions, especially at the frequencies (high) used by WiFi and Bluetooth. I'm sure that if there were an interaction with medical devices, this would be soon investigated.

You can rule out anything to do with software interactions. Over the air interactions are heavily encrypted and have to follow a strict protocol and structure that a rogue change is almost impossible.

I note that you say the camera manufacturer says "shielded from external RF signals". That's not the same as saying "our equipment emits RF signals that are necessary for it to operate and may interact with medical equipment".

The other concern, a real one, is getting close enough to powerful electromagnetic fields where there is a real possibility of all sorts of energy directly affecting the pacing signals.

I'm talking about something that could produce voltages and currents in the pacing leads enough to do you or the PM some damage. Domestically, there are only going to be a few things, maybe hobbies that would be a concern. Welding, ham radio, tinkering with microwave ovens, quack electromagnetic remedies etc.

Going back to your camera, you can do yourself a favour and maybe look at a wired camera instead of wireless.

Given a choice, I try to reduce the number of wireless devices and go for wired every time. I installed wired internet connections decades ago simply to make it more reliable and efficient. Wiring takes a bit more effort but would certainly go some way to reducing the emissions you are exposed to.

Hi Piglet!

by Lavender - 2024-04-24 09:19:06

Thx. I am not worried it would change anything because I know if we sense anything we can just move away from whatever is causing it. I'm just wondering why it happened.
 

I haven't had that even when in stores or other places with cameras.  These cameras were both plugged into the electrical outlet. There was a third device which went with them-some kind of monitoring box(?) that was also plugged in. 

In any case, the cameras are gone and will be plugged in at my guy's mom's house. 

Pacemakers Can Be Confused By Electrical Interference

by DoingMyBest - 2024-04-24 11:39:18

Good advice from Piglet and Agent. I'd just add a little more.

Like Piglet said, the protocols and encryption used with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are such that it is virtually impossible for a pacemaker to get a stray/random command and act upon it.

These signals are even designed to work in each other's presence, so that it is difficult for one to interfere and jam another - which could only happen if your pacemaker were communicating at the time. It takes an unusual energy source to cause jamming. Possibly a defective microwave oven could do it. They use the same frequency RF energy for cooking!

The other more like possibility for electrical interference involves your pacemaker's leads. If the energy gets sensed by a lead such that the pacemaker thinks it was a natural heart signal, then the PM is fooled and its timing can go awry. If the interference persists, the PM could potentially stay in a state of confusion for the duration. I can imagine that would cause effects you'd feel. The PM confusion should resolve as soon as the interference is removed. This is why on the list of things to avoid are close proximity to engines (high voltage ignition systems) and arc welders. These provide the kind of electrical interference sources that can confuse a pacemaker.

My conclusion, what you felt was unlikely due to the Blink Camera. It's highly unlikely that it could/would produce an interference source that could affect your pacemaker. But, then there are always weird exceptions...

Pacemakers and Bluetooth

by AgentX86 - 2024-04-24 18:58:13

Even with Bluetooth-enabled pacemakers, there is no way for an external Bluetooth device to change anything inside a pacemaker.  There is nothing that can be changed, without the programming device.  The NFC (Near Field Communications), the puck they hang around your neck, is needed.   Without it, settings can't be changed.  Data can be read but nothing can be changed. To allow this would be a security hole big enough to drive an entire army through.

I'm not saying that anyone said otherwise, I just wanted to put a point on this issue. It's not virtually impossible, it is impossible.

🤩 wow

by Lavender - 2024-04-25 08:51:38

I'm so impressed by all the techie knowledge here. I'm also very grateful that we have such knowledgeable people who are willing to share their expertise with us!  Very comforting. Knowledge is power🤜🏻🤛🏻