On April 26, 2021, Philips provided an important update regarding proactive efforts to address identified issues with a component in certain products of our Sleep & Respiratory Care portfolio.
At that time, out of an abundance of caution and based on available information, Philips advised of potential health risks related to sound abatement foam used in specific Philips Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (BiLevel PAP) devices, and Mechanical Ventilators. The company also indicated that analysis of potential health risks was ongoing, and that further information would be provided when available.
As a result of extensive ongoing analysis following this announcement, on June 14, 2021, the company issued a recall notification (U.S. only) / field safety notice (Outside of U.S.) for specific affected devices.
The notification informs customers and users of potential impacts on patient health and clinical use related to this issue. Possible health risks include exposure to degraded sound abatement foam, for example caused by unapproved cleaning methods such as ozone, and exposure to chemical emissions from the foam material. High heat and high humidity environments may also contribute to foam degradation in certain regions.
To date, Philips has received a limited number of reports of possible patient impact due to foam degradation, and no reports to date regarding patient impact related to chemical emissions. The company continues to monitor reports of potential safety issues as required by medical device regulations and laws in the markets in which we operate.