RE: [TCML] Tesla Coils and Stents

["Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx>]

While not directly about stents, I can share another useful data point about TC's and medical devices.  I now am tethered to a Medtronic insulin pump, which is a small pager-sized device with a plastic tube connected to me.  The pump is external to my body, so there is no Faraday shield to protect it.  Additionally, I wear a small sensor that has a small ~1/2" long wire that is just under my skin, to sense blood glucose levels.  The wire (sensor) connects to a small ~1.25" dia battery powered transmitter, taped to my skin just above the sensor, which transmits the readings to the insulin pump (range is only a couple feet).  The transmitter uses a frequency in the 900MHz range.

I attended Ed Wingate's Teslathon last month and witnessed a wide variety of Tesla coils including high powered magnifiers, VTTC's, and DRSSTC's.  Some may think I was foolish for exposing myself to this, but it was clear that asking the manufacturer would only yield a canned CYA response (if they even knew what a Tesla coil is).  I have no doubt that the firmware in any medical device is rigidly and purposefully designed to fail safe in a non life threatening manor.  It takes a very deliberate sequence to deliver or alter insulin dosing, and I felt it was highly unlikely that a spurious signal could cause that to occur.  One should also remember that most of us routinely carry cell phones, digital watches, digital cameras, and any number of "sensitive" electronic devices around Tesla coils.

Anyway, the bottom line is, no anomalous behavior was seen.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA



> -----Original Message-----
> From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of James Zimmerschied
> Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 12:51 AM
> To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [TCML] Tesla Coils and Stents
>
> Peter,
> thanks for your info
> Jim
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Peter Terren<mailto:pterren@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>   To: Tesla Coil Mailing List<mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
>   Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 3:02 AM
>   Subject: Re: [TCML] Tesla Coils and Stents
>
>
>   No problem with stents.  You are a conductor and a fair Faraday cage and
>   they really are tiny.
>   One of our list contributors has an implanted defibrillator but even his
>   risks of false triggering are minute.  After all they are made to allow RF
>   diathermy on the body (ie enough RF to cut and burn).  They will stop during
>   the RF but not be harmed by it.
>   Of course if your control station is further away you get more exercise and
>   lower your cardiac risk.....
>   Peter
>
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: "James Zimmerschied" <zimtesla@xxxxxxx<mailto:zimtesla@xxxxxxx>>
>   To: "Tesla" <Tesla@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:Tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>>
>   Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 8:47 AM
>   Subject: [TCML] Tesla Coils and Stents
>
>
>   Hello List Members,
>   I recently had the experience of having a couple stents installed in my
>   heart due to blockages. I was wondering if anyone had info on possible
>   safety issues around coils when stents are present. The stents are stainless
>   steel lattice which I would think would be like a small cylinder
>   electrically (vs a small coil).
>
>   I would like to continue my hobby. I will add some precautions such as
>   moving my control station farther away from the coils and maybe placing a
>   grounded screen between me and the coil.
>
>   Any thoughts or actual experience would be appreciated.
>   Jim Zimmerschied

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