Implantable pacemakers and defibrillators: device overview & EMI considerations

Pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) provide therapy which improves the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of patients and in some cases provide life sustaining therapy. Modern pacemakers and ICDs incorporate hardware and software that helps to mitigate the effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI) on these automatic implantable medical devices (AIMDs). This paper presents a summary of characteristics of pacemakers and ICDs both from the aspect of therapy and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).