May 16, 2023

Dutch medical devices maker Philips said on Tuesday that independent tests had shown 95% of its respiratory devices involved in a major global recall had shown limited health risks.

The company expects to have test results for the remaining machines involved in the recall later in the year.

Amsterdam-based Philips has been grappling with the fallout of the global recall of millions of respirators used to treat sleep apnoea since it was announced in June 2021 over worries that foam used in the machines could become toxic.

It said exposure to particulate matter emissions and volatile organic compounds from degraded foam in DreamStation devices was “unlikely to result in an appreciable harm to health in patients”.

Philips had already said last year that tests indicated foam degradation was very rare and was linked to the use of unauthorised ozone-based cleaning products.

It now added that foam degradation as a result of such cleaning was also unlikely to result in an appreciable harm.

REUTERS