‘Antimagnet’ could protect ships, people with pacemakers
September 26th, 2011 - 4:06 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Sep 26 (IANS) A new type of an anti-magnet could protect a ship’s hull from mines or allow patients with pacemakers or cochlear implants to use medical equipment.
Take, for example, a patient with a pacemaker undergoing an MRI scan. If an MRI’s large magnetic field interacts with the pacemaker, it can cause serious damage to both the device and the patient.
The metal in the pacemaker could also interact with and distort the MRI’s large magnetic field, affecting the machine’s detection capabilities, the New Journal of Physics reports.
Alvar Sanchez, professor at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, who led the study, said: “The ideas of this device and their potential applications are far-reaching,” according to Barcelona statement.
“However, it is conceivable that they could be used for reducing the magnetic signature of forbidden objects, with the consequent threat to security.
“For these reasons, this research could be taken into account by security officials to design safer detection systems and protocols,” added Sanchez.
The researchers are aware that the technology could also be used by criminals to dodge security systems, for example in airports and shops.
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Tags: airports, barcelona spain, cochlear implants, criminals, detection capabilities, dodge, journal of physics, magnet, magnetic field, medical equipment, mri scan, new journal of physics, pacemaker, pacemakers, protocols, security officials, security systems, ships, signature, universitat autonoma de barcelona