About Open Healthware

In a time where access to care becomes increasingly debated, restricted, and prevented openly sharing health devices is imperative to healthy communities. Open Healthware is Open Source Hardware that is specific to Medical and Health related devices.

What are examples of Open Healthware?

In 2020 the University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers designed an open source face shield called Badger Shield, they connected with over 400 manufacturers, including Apple and Ford, to manufacture 2 million face shields a day to address the PPE shortage during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 2022 US government group National Institute of Health through the Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions has supported two implantable health devices in fully open sourcing their work with COSMIIC and CARSS.

In the open source certification database there are three different prosthetic hands varying from robotic to fully mechanical, plus ventilators, scalpels, braces, air monitors and more.

What is OSHWA doing with Open Healthware?

OSHWA is working hard with the backing of an NSF grant to create an appropriate addition to our certification process to encompass all the ways open healthware can exist! We are working the creators, stakeholders and makers of open healthware in this process through a series of development workshops and a new Open Healthware Conference.

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