A new study suggests better technology may break the ban on cell phones in hospitals.

A study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that the phones' electromagnetic interference with medical devices, such as monitors and respirators, may have lessened as technology improves.

Researchers found that the phones did not interfere with medical devices that were more than 3 feet away.

Some hospitals and health care buildings have banned cell phone use in facilities because they interfered with some devices, such as electrocardiographic (ECG) or electroencephalographic (EEG) machines. The facilities cited the power of the cell phones and the signals emitted.

In the study, 44 percent of the medical devices recorded some interference from the cell phones, but a majority of the interference did not significantly pertain to the patient.

The researchers said more study will be needed as technology continues to change.

The findings are presented in the October issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

• Study Abstract