Measurements of Electromagnetic Fields inside a Flying Helicopter Ambulance

• Published in: Transactions of Japanese Society for Medical and Biological Engineering Vol. 54; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: KAYANO, Isao, YOSHIKAWA, Fumika, TAKAYAMA, Aya, INOUE, Takahiro, MIYAZAKI, Hisashi, MOCHIZUKI, Seiichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society for Medical and Biological Engineering 10.02.2016
• Subjects: electromagnetic compatibility; electromagnetic fields; electromagnetic interference; helicopter ambulance
• DOI: 10.11239/jsmbe.54.1
• ISSN: 1347-443X

A helicopter ambulance is equipped with various kinds of aircraft instruments and medical devices. Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) for these instruments and devices must conform to CISPR11. However, this standard is specified for a device operating individually. Thus, conformation to this standard does not necessarily guarantee EMC inside the helicopter ambulance in which various aircraft instruments and medical devices are operated simultaneously. Nevertheless, there is virtually no study that evaluates the effects of the electromagnetic environment inside a flying helicopter on aircraft instruments and medical devices. In the present study, we measured the extremely-low-frequency and intermediate-frequency magnetic fields and high-frequency electric fields inside a flying helicopter ambulance. We focused on seven types of medical equipment, and measured the electromagnetic environment based on the method provided in IEC60601-1-2:2014 under various situations. We demonstrated that the high-frequency electric fields inside a helicopter were 33 dB below the IEC60601-1-2:2014 immunity tolerance value, and the extremely-low-frequency and intermediate-frequency magnetic fields were 55 dB below the EN45502-2-1 immunity tolerance value, even when all the devices were being operated.