this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2024
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Apologies for posting a pay walled article. Consider subscribing to 404. They’re a journalist-founded org, so you could do worse for supporting quality journalism.

Trained repair professionals at hospitals are regularly unable to fix medical devices because of manufacturer lockout codes or the inability to obtain repair parts. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, broken ventilators sat unrepaired for weeks or months as manufacturers were overwhelmed with repair requests and independent repair professionals were locked out of them. At the time, I reported that independent repair techs had resorted to creating DIY dongles loaded with jailbroken Ukrainian firmware to fix ventilators without manufacturer permission. Medical device manufacturers also threatened iFixit because it posted ventilator repair manuals on its website. I have also written about people with sleep apnea who have hacked their CPAP machines to improve their basic functionality and to repair them.

PS: he got it repaired.

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 2 months ago

any company who locks medical device repair should be burned to the ground. and dont bullshit me about liabilities bla it is more likely cash grab which they get in the form of "extra care packages" or exorbitant repair prices charged after the guarantee period ends.

[–] [email protected] 81 points 2 months ago

A right to repair is long overdue but more than that when it comes to medical devices it's obvious battery replacement is going to be necessary and should be user accessible.

[–] [email protected] 64 points 2 months ago

Corporations are a fucking curse.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 2 months ago

Update: He temporarily gained the ability to walk again after touching a spinning steel ball, despite the recovery not lasting he will still be competing in upcoming cross country horse race.

[–] [email protected] 112 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Keeping repairs locked into your system of parts/techs can at least feign “safety” or “quality”.

But essentially just refusing to repair is an absolute fuck you.

I’ve started choosing the companies I use based much more on the experience offered when their product/service DOESN’T work, rather than when it does.

[–] [email protected] 51 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I’ve started choosing the companies I use based much more on the experience offered when their product/service DOESN’T work, rather than when it does.

Easy to do for a cell phone or a toaster, but I can't imagine there's a ton of options for exosuits that correct your condition, covered by your insurance, that your doctor is familiar enough with to prescribe (for lack of a better term).

Some things are annoying to make abandonware, and some things should be criminal.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Don't buy a Google Pixel. I'll never get one again because of this. They wanted 250£ to even look at it so I got a new cheap Samsung out of spite.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

And it doesn't preclude the company just deciding your product is no longer worth supporting/going bankrupt.

It might have been fine and seemingly trustworthy to begin with, and then it stops, a few years down the line.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

Right it begs the question.

Is me not receiving care or having access to care REALLY better for me?

If the answer can't clearly be yes, then they are just choosing to make me ill or kill me for their perceived interests.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

For me it's a mix of what you said and how they treat their employees/where they're making the product.

I spend extra time trying to find higher priced, higher quality, more fairly manufactured products.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That latter requirement is usually a good indicator of the former requirement. Companies that take care of their people typically end up making quality products.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago
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