As the investigation continues in Tucson, Arizona, authorities looking for Nancy Guthrie are using a piece of sophisticated tracking equipment known as a “signal sniffer” to try and find emissions from her implanted pacemaker.
Here’s what that gadget is and how it functions.
A “signal sniffer”: what is it?
A signal sniffer is a radio-frequency (RF) detecting tool that finds electronic signals that wireless devices emit. Typically, search and law enforcement agencies utilize this technology to:
-Identify radio signals
-Identify devices that use wireless communication.
-Track the sources of signals within a specified range.
According to accounts, the device was put to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department helicopter that was spotted hovering low over residential neighborhoods.
The objective is to ascertain whether Guthrie’s pacemaker is producing any discernible signals that would aid in focusing the search.
Is it possible to track a pacemaker?
Devices called pacemakers are tiny, battery-operated implants that control heart rhythm beneath the skin. They are not GPS trackers.
But contemporary pacemakers can:
-Transmit medical data wirelessly
-Link to a home monitor by the bed.
-Sync with apps on smartwatches or smartphones
-Report significant cardiac incidents to heart clinics.
However, there are restrictions:
-The gadget needs to be in wireless range of its smartphone or home monitor.
-It is unable to send location information.
-It is unable to transmit a tracking signal on its own.
-It requires a monitoring system connection in order to communicate.
Crucially, the pacemaker still performs its primary medical function even if it is no longer connected to an app, as authorities claim Guthrie’s was just before she vanished.
Search context
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her Pima County home on February 1st, and was reported missing. Authorities suspect her kidnapping.
The case has garnered national interest, and Donald Trump has commented on it, stating that the probe has made “progress.”
The sheriff’s office has upped the prize to $100,000 for information that leads to her recovery or an arrest, posted pictures of a masked suspect, and received close to 18,000 tips.
Additionally, the FBI has made case-related images and videos public. The search is still going on.
