Medical Device Company Suddenly Stops Hospitals From Fixing Machines Themselves

Consumer companies including Apple and Samsung began opening their hardware products to independent repairers and regulators press on At companies like John Deere, others are resisting the right-to-repair movement. A medical device company that makes a machine for heart surgery recently told hospitals that it would no longer allow its in-house technicians to repair the devices. Hospitals must now enter into repair contracts directly with the manufacturer.

Terumo makes a cardiovascular product, called the Advanced Perfusion System 1 Heart Lung Machine, that recirculates blood during open-heart surgery to keep patients alive during surgery. According to 404 mediaTerumo told hospitals last month that it would stop offering certification classes to repair the devices.

The work of an independent repair technician was more common – there were people who could fix everything from TVs to dishwashers and automobiles. But today more hardware is packed with chips and software, and companies like Apple say that the software in their devices is copyrighted intellectual property; Allowing anyone to see under the hood and manage changes could pose security or reliability risks.

After years of criticism for hypocrisy in its commitment to environmental sustainability, Apple has begun loosening its grip on some repairs while also preventing repairs that could extend the life of devices. Company offers now Official replacement part and repair tools for some devices with plans to expand this support in the future. Reports indicate this It is still difficult to repair the iPhone independentlyBut it’s a start. Samsung supports individual repair of its smartphones.

In many cases, however, devices today are more like services. Instead of buying a refrigerator or smart thermostat all at once and the owner being able to do it with any kind of upgrade or fix, the owner often needs to return to the company that sold it. Research suggests this is one Basic reason There is a lot of waste in our world today. TV won’t turn on? Either get it fixed under warranty or throw it away, because getting a new one might just be cheaper.

Turning hardware essentially as a service is inherently inflationary due to lock-in. If there was an open market to repair devices like the Terumo, perhaps hospitals could get better prices. Case in point: In a report, the Federal Trade Commission found that medical device manufacturers sometimes charge 2-3 times What will an independent technician charge? And US healthcare costs are already astronomically high.

To see how things can be, look no further than automobiles of the year. Over time, independent auto body shops flourished. BMWs or Fords can be repaired by anyone with a wrench and some elbow work. But as cars become more computerized, access to digital information is needed to diagnose and fix problems like a malfunctioning backup camera.

Lawmakers recently complained that, like medical device companies, automakers Make it difficult It would be a security risk for independent repair companies to access software data and diagnostics under the same guise. And they’re doing it in violation of right-to-repair laws passed in states including Massachusetts to enable automatic access to software diagnostics.

The pitfalls of lock-in are clear. There are few independent repair shops that can service Teslas – because of the high prices, owners of these vehicles have complained about slow or poor service from the company’s official technicians. In the case of Terumo, is it too slow to respond when a critical device requires repair for surgeries?

Terumo argues that medical devices are sensitive and complex and that allowing anyone to repair them risks patient safety. It also said 404 The organization has seen a decrease in demand for participants in its training program. But if Apple can figure out how to make third-party repairs work, maybe Terumo can too. Hospital repair technicians are Technicians After all—they should be able to do what Terumo’s in-house technicians can do.