Membrane switches first debuted in the 1980s, as low-cost and fairly low-tech user interfaces. Though many still hold this perception of them, membrane switches have advanced significantly over the last 30 years to the point where today’s applications are virtually unrecognizable from their first uses. As people have become fully accustomed to using touchscreens in their day-to-day lives, we are seeing the use of these interfaces expand into other areas, including the medical device market. Though touchscreens are slick and offer a familiar user experience, the membrane switch offers significant advantages over touchscreens, with high durability, and a more precise and pleasing user experience. In advance of the American Medical Device Summit, we spoke with Ken Boss, resident interface guru at JN White, about why membrane switches are still the ideal user interface for the medical device market.