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Nice writeup, appreciate it ! However the points you raise need not be that stringent towards "non-critical" and "mass use" medical devices. Add proper disclai
by rramadass 5y ago
Nice writeup, appreciate it !
However the points you raise need not be that stringent towards "non-critical" and "mass use" medical devices. Add proper disclaimers to the sale of these devices and everybody benefits. In particular, the people in the developing world many of whom lack even the most basic medical support. Use these in the field (eg. underdeveloped villages) and at homes to get an approximate reading after which you can be referred to a proper diagnostic lab/hospital. Incidentally, some of these diagnostic labs in the developing world are a absolute scam with completely broken, unmaintained and error-prone devices. If the cost is brought down they can actually afford to buy decent devices.
For example, at one point you couldn't even afford home BP monitors and Pulseoxymeters. But now they are common place in particular the latter which before the Covid-19 pandemic were expensive. This in turn has resulted in the public getting better educated in learning to measure and monitor basic health signs which is very good.
- HeyLaughingBoy 5y agoIn the end it's always a Regulatory issue depending on the regulations of the country where the device is sold. I'm sure there are countries where regulations are very lax, but those will tend to be countries where the market is tiny, so most reputable manufacturers will avoid them. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I think these Open Source Hardware/Software medical device projects are great. I really do. However people need to understand why they can't be considered the equivalent of a device that's built following the necessary regulations so they can make informed decisions about how they can be used.