Pacemaker

[Nicey1]

Hi everyone I have a friend who is a wood turner he has had several heart attacks and has had a pace maker fitted. No one, neither doctors or the lathes manufacturers can tell him if it’s safe to use his lathe because of the electromagnetic motor. I have suggested a lead shield on his headstock but am open to all ideas.???? :idea:

 

[GarF]

His cardiologist will be able to advise him. My understanding is that modern pacemakers are much much less susceptible to radio frequency interference than the very early ones. Indwelling defib types are a slightly different case. It is sensible to make sure before working beside a machine with an (electromagnetically) unshielded motor, but I'm certain the specialist who fitted the device, rather than the GP,will be able to answer this question.
G

 

[John Brown]

As far as I know, lead does not shield magnetic fields. It's useful for x-rays, though...
The stuff used for shielding magnetic fields is called Mu-metal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu-metal

But I am not a cardiologist or a metalurgist or a physicist. I agree that your cardiologist is the person to ask.

 

[MusicMan]

Agree with John Brown's comment (I'm a metallurgist and Xray specialist). But yes, ask the cardiologist, or else the manufacturer of the pacemaker itself.

He might also look at

https://www.kjmagnetics.com/blog.asp?p=pacemaker-safety

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3908865/

 

[John Brown]

"or a metalurgist " and my spelling's not what it used to be..