"The problems with the device, which was used to treat a weakened blood
vessel in the abdomen without surgery, centered on the system used to
insert it. The equipment could become lodged, potentially requiring
emergency surgery to remove it. In some cases, it was broken into pieces
before being removed   a technique devised by sales representatives.
Guidant hid results that its product failed to work properly about one
of every three times it was used. "

 From an article here:
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030613/ZNYT04/306130305/1002/BUSINESS

More articles here
http://news.google.com/news?q=Guidant

The reason they are being prosecuted by the gov't is not so much the two
deaths (and multiple serious injuries) that were a result of  bad
design, but because they failed to report the extent of the problem to
the FDA.  The civil suits are following closely.

For those interested in a specific instance of bad design (firmware,
hardware) causing people to lose their life, look no further than the
THERAC-25 incidents.  http://sunnyday.mit.edu/therac-25.html

-Adam

Russell McMahon wrote:

>New York Times:
>
>Guidant, one of the major US manufacturers of medical devices covered up
>life threatening (and in some cases fatal) failure of its technology.
>
>
>http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/13/business/13DEVI.html?th=&pagewanted=print&position=
>
>No electronics here, but lessons to be learned. If I ever had a choice I
>would never knowingly use products from this company EVER. Some of you will
>be faced with this choice in future. The company deserves to die, as an
>example to others. It wont. The extent of not only the incompetence and
>deceit involved but also the lack of systems and the complete lack of desire
>or willingness to remedy a completely inadequate product until after its own
>employees turned it in defies comprehension.
>
>Ain't market forces wonderful ? :-)
>
>--
>http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different
>ways.  See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.
>
>
>
>
>

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