Amy Tenderich writes one of (if not the) most influential blogs about diabetes, Diabetes Mine. Noting the news today about Apple selling its 100 millionth iPod and praising the exceptional industrial design of Apple products, she asks for Apple’s help in designing better medical devices, particularly blood glucose monitors and insulin pumps.

Sounds like a good idea – right? Makes you wonder why there’s such a sharp distinction between hi-tech companies and medical device makers. One comment offers a clue:

Medical devices are a very tightly-regulated industry by the FDA, and I doubt Apple would want to invest the resources necessary to comply with the onerous regulations, not to mention the significant liability it would expose them to from malfunction and such. There’s a reason only a few specialized companies make medical devices.

Can you imagine someone starting a medical device company in their garage – and forking the millions – and billions of dollars it takes to get FDA approval?

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