Philips Recalls Millions of CPAP and BiPAP Devices
What is the Recall About?
Every night, people rely on CPAP machines to treat sleep apnea. These are complex and vital medical devices that we expect to be safe to use. Sadly, this is not always the case.
Philips recently recalled millions of CPAP and BiPAP devices – including its line of first-generation DreamStation machines – because the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam used in the devices may break down and release debris and chemicals that can then enter the air pathway and be inhaled or ingested by the user. Such exposure may cause serious health issues including irritation (skin, eye, and respiratory tract), inflammation, headache, asthma, hypersensitivity, nausea/vomiting, adverse effects to other organs (e.g., kidneys and liver), and toxic carcinogenic effects. To date, there have been over 1,200 complaints and over 100 injuries reported.
Philips has advised those with recalled CPAP and BiPAP devices to discontinue use of the device and work with a physician or Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider to determine the most appropriate options for continued treatment. More information concerning Philips’s recall and all of the devices subject to it can be found here: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-device-recalls/philips-respironics-recalls-certain-continuous-and-non-continuous-ventilators-including-cpap-and
Why Are There Lawsuits Against Philips?
Philips has stated that it will be replacing the foam at some unknown point in the future. But most CPAP and BiPAP users need to continue daily use and this recall has left them with a machine they can no longer use and scrambling to find a replacement at their own expense. Our firm is investigating these issues and we have filed a class action lawsuit. If you own one of the recalled devices, please contact us. We would be happy to speak with you.
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