Inquiry Regarding Meta Quest Headsets and Implanted Cardiac Devices
Hello,
My name is Martine Bordeleau, PhD, and I am a researcher in Canada. My team is planning to use Meta Quest headsets with older adults, some of whom may have implanted cardiac pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs).
While reviewing the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 Health & Safety Guides, I noticed the recommendation that users with implanted medical devices should consult their physician or the device manufacturer because the headset contains magnets and emits electromagnetic fields:
To better understand the rationale behind this recommendation, I conducted a review of the scientific literature. To date, I have not identified any published study demonstrating that a VR headset causes electromagnetic interference with a pacemaker.
The only published study I identified that included participants with implanted cardiac devices is the study by JΓ³ΕΊwik et al. (2021) (attached). The authors reported that: "Some patients raised concerns that such an advanced technology could interfere with pacemaker function." Among the 100 participants, 6.5% had an implanted cardiac device (e.g., a pacemaker, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or heart stimulator). Although four participants declined participation because they were concerned that VR might affect pacemaker function, the authors did not report any device-related adverse events among those who completed the intervention.
In addition to reviewing the literature, I discussed this question with an engineer familiar with electromagnetic systems. Although he had not specifically evaluated Meta Quest headsets and pacemakers as part of a formal engineering assessment, he questioned whether the risk would be clinically significant. Based on his engineering judgment, he suggested that the level of risk might be comparable to that associated with using a modern smartphone. However, he was careful to emphasize that this was purely speculative and should not be interpreted as a technical opinion, recommendation, or evidence regarding the safety of VR headsets for individuals with implanted cardiac devices. Rather, it was simply an informal hypothesis based on general engineering principles. He also noted that he is not aware of any experimental studies specifically evaluating interactions between VR headsets and implanted cardiac devices.
I was therefore wondering whether Meta has any data that could help clarify this issue.
Specifically:
- Has Meta identified any documented cases in which a Meta Quest headset caused electromagnetic interference with a pacemaker or ICD?
- Is the warning based on actual testing or reported incidents, or is it primarily a precautionary recommendation due to the presence of magnets and electromagnetic fields?
- Has Meta conducted compatibility or electromagnetic interference testing with implanted cardiac devices?
Following the recommendation in the Meta Quest Health & Safety Guide, we also plan to contact the major pacemaker manufacturers (e.g., Abbott, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, BIOTRONIK, and MicroPort) to obtain device-specific guidance regarding compatibility with VR headsets.
Accordingly, if available, would it be possible to provide the relevant electromagnetic technical specifications for the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 (e.g., magnetic field characteristics, Radio Frequency transmission specifications, operating frequencies, maximum transmit power, and any other information that would be useful for evaluating potential interactions with implanted cardiac devices)? This information would greatly facilitate discussions with pacemaker manufacturers and help us conduct a comprehensive safety assessment.
Any information or technical documentation you could provide would be greatly appreciated, as it will help us develop safe research procedures for older adults with implanted cardiac devices.
Also, if this inquiry would be more appropriately addressed by your Product Safety, Hardware Engineering, or Reality Labs Research team, I would greatly appreciate it if you could forward my request to the appropriate contact.
Thank you very much for your time and assistance.
Kind regards,
Martine