Hi everyone,
 
my apologies if you receive this email more than once, but I wanted to send this message to a few networks and get as much feedback as possible. The issue of switch reliability and switch lifetime has recently become a hot topic, and a client I was working with yesterday was a prime example of this - he accessed a switch using his foot (it was recessed into his footplate, with a plastic cover over it) and it would remain "on" when pressed (that is, stuck in the on state). Not an ideal situation for any switch activity, let alone one that uses a switch for integrated wheelchair control.
 
I wanted to ask you the following questions:
 
- have you (in any capacity, i.e.: as a switch user, therapist, technician, engineer, funder, etc) had similar switch experiences? I wanted to get an appreciation for how big this issue may be. Are switches regularly failing or is it just isolated incidents?
 
- do you know of a standard for switch reliability or switch lifetime? How many presses is a switch meant to last for? Obviously this depends on frequency and use, but perhaps a minimum lifetime can be determined or specified.
 
- do manufacturers state how many switch presses their products can sustain, and do they give any recommendation on lifetime? Does anyone proactively conduct a client 'switch check' - i.e.: evaluates and checks the switch for integrity and function, like preventative maintenance, over a given time frame (annually, bi-annually, etc.) when a client comes in for a clinic session.
 
Thanks for your time - your responses are greatly appreciated. Even if you don't know the answers to any of the "standard" questions I've asked, but you do have personal experience (or anecdotal) of switch failure, it would be great to hear from you.
 
Cheers, and have a great weekend.
 
Dave  ;-)
 
David Hobbs
Senior Rehabilitation Engineer, Churchill Fellow
NovitaTech
(formerly 'Regency Park Rehabilitation Engineering')
PO Box 2438, Regency Park, SA, Australia, 5942
Ph: + 61 - 8 - 8243 8338
Fax: + 61 - 8 - 8243 8208
Mob: 0418 221 811
Web: http://www.novitatech.org.au/
Email: [log in to unmask]
 
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."
                             - Dr Carl Sagan


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