Tens of thousands of apnea devices with risks in circulation | Financial

The device has problems with sound-absorbing foam, which very occasionally -according to Philips it happened in 0.03% of the devices- can crumble. Particles of that foam can then end up in the mask that goes over the mouth, for example. In some cases this has caused complaints such as nausea and irritation of the airways.

Cleaning products

Philips already warned about this in April, but at the time still believed that the device could be used as usual, but that the foam would have to be replaced. The crumbling of the foam would mainly take place at very high humidity and temperatures and aggravated by the use of aggressive cleaning agents, such as ozone, which are mainly used in the US.

Although Philips had always advised against the use of such substances, it still wanted to recall all devices at its own expense, CEO Van Houten said in April. He said that Philips ‘puts patient safety first’ and ‘we do not want to get involved in a discussion about whose responsibility this is first’.

Since then, however, it has also become clear that chemical gases can be released during that crumbling process that are unhealthy, it reported on Monday, which prompted Philips to call on users to stop using the devices altogether. This is despite the fact that there are no known cases of people who have actually suffered from complaints that can be caused by those gases. “These are not high concentrations that can be released,” said a spokesperson. “However, we have to start from ‘worst case scenarios’ and then you see that certain standards can be exceeded. And that includes carcinogenic and toxic substances.”

Weird suggestion

The Apnea Association says it ‘fully supports the recall’, but would also like to see a solution from Philips. Acting chairman Gerjan Heuver thinks it is ‘a strange suggestion to stop using the device for a while until you have consulted the doctor’. “It doesn’t make you happy with such a device, but people who use such a thing really need it,” says Heuver, who estimates that about a quarter of the approximately 220,000 people with apnea in the Netherlands, a product of Using Philips. “The solution for that has to come from Philips.”

Philips advises people to contact their doctor, who, according to the company, should advise them to stop, use an alternative or continue with the device. Devices of a new generation of the Dreamstation, which was recently introduced, would not suffer from the problem since that foam is no longer incorporated.

In the old devices, Philips wants to replace the foam with a safe alternative, but it is unclear how long that will take. The Philips spokesperson says that the company is still in talks with the government about the adjustments that are needed.

Philips has sold about 15 million of these devices worldwide, of which between 3 and 4 million are currently in use, according to the spokesperson. Despite the fact that it is now allocating half a billion to pay for the recall, it does not think it will have to adjust its profit forecast for this year.

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