Authorities searching for Nancy Guthrie are deploying a piece of specialized tracking technology — commonly referred to as a “signal sensor” — in an effort to detect emissions from her implanted pacemaker as the investigation intensifies in Tucson, Arizona.
Here’s what the device is – and how it works.
What is a ‘signal sensor’?
A signal sniffer is a radio frequency (RF) detection device used to locate electronic signals emitted by a wireless device. Law enforcement and search teams typically use this technology to:
-Detection of radio transmissions
-Identify wireless communication devices
– Monitoring of signal sources in a defined range
In that case, authorities mounted the device on a helicopter operated by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department that was reportedly seen flying low over residential areas.
The goal: to determine if Guthrie’s pacemaker was sending any detectable signal that could help narrow down the search area.
Can the pacemaker be monitored?
Pacemakers are small, battery-powered devices implanted under the skin to regulate the heart’s rhythm. They do not work as GPS trackers.
However, modern pacemakers can:
– Wirelessly transmit medical data
-Connect to your home monitor at your bedside
-Synchronization with apps for smart phones or smart watches
-Notify heart clinics of serious cardiac events
But there are limitations:
– The device must be within range of its paired home monitor or smartphone
-Cannot transmit location data
-It cannot independently transmit a tracking signal
-Can’t communicate without connecting to a monitoring system
Importantly, even when the pacemaker is disconnected from the app — as authorities say Guthrie was shortly before she disappeared — the pacemaker continues to perform its basic medical function.
Search context
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Feb. 1 after she was last seen at her home in Pima County. Authorities believe she was kidnapped.
The case drew national attention, including comments from Donald Trump, who said “progress has been made in the investigation.”
The sheriff’s department received nearly 18,000 tips, released images of the masked suspect and doubled the reward to $100,000 for information leading to her recovery or arrest.
The FBI also released photos and video related to the case. The search is still ongoing.
Read also | Nancy Guthrie Case: Third Ransom Emerges as FBI Raises Reward to $100,000