Med Device Maker Slams Door On Independent Repairs
Terumo Cardiovascular told hospitals it will stop offering classes to certify independent biomedical technicians, ending non-OEM repairs. Also: WAPO profiles Snoo bassinet as attack on ownership.
Big News
One of the most predictable concessions in the numerous state right to repair laws that have been enacted in the last five years is for medical devices. In state after state, otherwise robust electronics repair laws have “carve outs” for medical devices, specifying that the terms of the new laws - which stipulate that repair parts, information and tools must be shared with owners and independent repair pros- don’t apply to medical devices.
Contents:
Big News:
+ Terumo Cardio slams door on independent med device repair
Other News:
+ WAPO on Happiest Baby’s Snoo Bassinet: a study in ensh**tification
+ EFF urges Trump administration to fight for digital rights
+ Keeping Tech Alive: Open Source vs. Unsupported Devices
+ EU Reparability Scores for Electronics and Appliances
+ Logitech teams up with iFixit for repairs
+ The State of Right to Repair
+ You're probably getting screwed by DRM
+ Reclaiming Control: Open Source and Dead Devices
+ Maine Right to Repair bill targets personal electronics
+ Australian teen repairs, redistributes gadgets to fight e-wasteThe argument in favor of the medical device carve out is muddled - but highly effective: ‘throwing open the doors’ for repair of medical devices will result in injuries to patients.
But such arguments ignore the reality of the decades old and robust independent medical device repairs, which are conducted by biomedical technicians (aka “biomeds”) - highly skilled technicians, many of whom have spent decades working for hospitals and medical groups and repairing medical devices in an efficient, timely and highly effective way.
Medical device makers argue vehemently that only “authorized” repair techs trained by them should be able to make repairs and have access to repair information and parts. The limits of that approach were laid bare during the COVID pandemic, when a sudden spike in demand for ventilators exposed the extreme lack of staffing by OEMs and their authorized medical device repair providers that left hospitals scrambling to get out of service ventilators back online. The online repair site iFixit responded by launching the world’s largest public repository of medical device repair information.
But medical device makers envision a very different future: one in which they use software locks to prohibit independent repair and obtaining a de-facto monopoly on service and repair. With no competition from independent repair, OEMs can rapidly increase the cost of service and repair of their devices.
And that future may come sooner than you think. In a troubling development for patient autonomy and the Right to Repair movement, a prominent medical device manufacturer announced this month that it is actively preventing hospitals from servicing their own equipment.
As reported by 404 Media and others, Terumo Cardiovascular, the maker of the Advanced Perfusion System 1 Heart Lung Machine, told hospitals last month that it would stop offering certification classes that trained independent biomeds to repair the devices, which reroute blood during open-heart surgeries to keep patients alive.
The change in policy forces healthcare providers to rely solely on the company's repair services, with prolonged downtimes and increased costs likely side effects.
Terumo’s decision underscores the critical need for legislation that empowers users and institutions to maintain and repair their own equipment without manufacturer-imposed restrictions. Advocates argue that granting hospitals the right to repair their devices would enhance healthcare delivery, reduce costs, and promote sustainability by extending the lifespan of medical equipment.
The Terumo case exemplifies the broader challenges faced by various sectors where manufacturers impose monopolistic control over repairs, highlighting the urgency for comprehensive Right to Repair laws. (Read more…)
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Other News
WAPO on Happiest Baby’s Snoo Bassinet: a study in ensh**tification
Way back in September we wrote about the scandal du jour: the sudden appearance of paywalls for owners of the $1,700 (!!) Snoo Smart Sleeper from the firm Happiest Baby - a high-priced, high-tech bassinet with “smart” features designed to soothe infants.
After building a loyal following of tech-savvy parents with its smart features, like using automated motions and sounds to calm babies, Happiest Baby suddenly hit customers with monthly charges for a wide range of software features it had offered as free. The Washington Post finally caught on to the story, profiling the fate of Emily Guerin, a Snoo bassinet user who had borrowed the device from a friend, but suddenly found herself facing a $20 a month charge to use previously free features like “level lock” - a feature that keeps the bassinet’s motion and sounds at one level all night.
“It all felt really intrusive — like they went into our bedroom and clawed back this feature that we’ve been depending on,” Guerin, 38, told WAPO reporter Hannah Ziegler.
Happiest Baby faced intense backlash: Snoo owners filed dozens of complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau, conducted coordinated “review bombs” and pilloried Happiest Baby on social media, arguing the company did a “bait-and-switch.”
But the WAPO story looks at the larger issue: smart devices being bricked and abandoned. “Companies have rewritten the rules of ownership,” WAPO quotes Lucas Gutterman of U.S. PIRG saying. “This new technology is actually allowing manufacturers to change the way the status quo has been for decades, which is that once you buy something, you own it and you can do whatever you want,” he said. “Right now, consumers have no trust that what they’re buying is actually going to keep working.” (Read more…)
EFF urges Trump administration to fight for digital rights
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has issued a transition memo that urges the Trump administration to champion digital rights. It emphasized protecting privacy, ending mass surveillance, and ensuring transparency. The memo also advocated for fair copyright laws, net neutrality, and tech users’ control over their devices, warning against policies that could erode fundamental freedoms. These priorities aimed to preserve innovation and democracy in the digital age. (Read more…)
Keeping Tech Alive: Open Source vs. Unsupported Devices
Unsupported tech often turns into e-waste, but open-source communities are breathing life back into abandoned devices, PIRG reports. By creating custom firmware and offering repair guides, groups like Rebble and the subreddit r/carthinghax ensure that older- or discontinued gadgets like the Pebble smart watch and Spotify Car Thing stay functional. Their efforts challenge tech companies' planned obsolescence and support sustainable, user-empowered tech practices. Open-source advocates highlight the environmental and economic benefits of reclaiming outdated devices. (Read more…)
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