It’s possible to build a “kill switch” into electronics, so that the device can be stopped or destroyed by remote control. I mentioned this in my 3 July article called The kill switch is a bad idea.
But what happens when the device itself can harm or kill a person? Nathan Adams, a master’s student at the University of Canterbury, has written a good post called When bugs really do matter: 22 years after the Therac 25. He also addresses problems with Alaris SE infusion pumps back in 2006. This FDA page called Safety Information about the Alaris Signature Edition Gold Infusion Pump Seizure has more information.
Tags: ethics, fda, health, safety, security, software, USA
