[News] RECALL THREAD-- IMPORTANT PHILIPS DREAMSTATION & SYSTEM ONE USERS

[koala1]

I have recently switched to Resmed (private purchase),but still not cancelled my Philips rental through insurance. 

Today I got AB filters from Philips Japan. 
Out of nowhere, without any explanation. 
Only letter stating they send filters and ask to install them. Instruction attached. 

When I called day after recall in US, they told nothing is decided in Japan, not even sales of Dreamstation 2. 
My Ent also marginalised problem stating that no one in Japan uses external cleaning devices that could potentially cause a problem with foam decomposition. 

I’m not even mad anymore. Just disappointed. 
This is not how problem with medical equipment should be handled.

[SingingSam]

"I found that a week on a filter is pretty good.  When trying to push 2 weeks, there starts to be a smell of some kind. I assume this is just my room air "bits" making their way thru the intake filter and getting trapped in this new outlet bacterial filter."

Filter material made damp by either the humidifier or high relative humidity in the room air becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, mold and mildew.

Philips considers the addition of AB filters to be off label use that they do not authorize for users of recalled xPAP devices. Whether one adds a filter or opens a machine to address the PE-PUR foam directly, there is no support from Philips.

The ideal filter doesn't exist to my knowledge for this application. Like the AB filter, it would have to be very fine. It needs to be either inherently resistant to the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew, or treated to resist undesirable organisms, or perhaps exposed to UV light after each use. The filter surface area needs to be significantly larger than that of an AB filter to reduce resistance to air flow. Less resistance in turn makes the ideal filter less likely to affect the xPAP's sensors and stress the blower motor. Keeping the blower unstressed is ideal both for maximizing blower life and reducing the foam's exposure to heat from the blower motor. Of course the ideal filter needs to be cheap and readily available.

If you want to extend the useful life of an AB filter then try turning off the humidifier. Or look into some way to dry the filter after use. If you have multiple filters then using a different filter each night might help with the drying. Or not. The lack of support from Philips means you're on your own. If you discover something that works very well for you then this is a good forum for sharing that information.

[OpalRose]

"Over a month after the recall, people who rely on ventilators, CPAPs, and BiPAPs are unsure what to do"

https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/5/226096...cpap-bipap

[DaveCar]

"If you want to extend the useful life of an AB filter then try turning off the humidifier. Or look into some way to dry the filter after use. "

No tank humidifier running currently, but the house is open to outside air. Our hygrometers usually show 60%+.
I often used desiccant in my career (telecom),  so my initial thought is a sealed box/bag containing the filter along with a desiccant pouch ?  I dont think the little "free" sized desiccant pouches that we get with electronics would be good enough, it would probably need to be larger to dry out a 'damp' AB filter during the daytime period.
 

[Feedsack]

Today I took apart my Dreamstation I observed numerous people worried about excess glue and tape and other foreign object from off gassing. Wgat I di was heat up an exacto knife and sliced three cutts and peeled back the plastic.
Then after the foam was pulled out through the hole i gently pressed back the plastic and used a hot exacto knife to meld it back together Was it air tight no should i be worried no the holes was insignificant only saw my a jewelers loupe so I put it back together.

[SingingSam]

"I often used desiccant in my career (telecom),  so my initial thought is a sealed box/bag containing the filter along with a desiccant pouch ?  I dont think the little "free" sized desiccant pouches that we get with electronics would be good enough, it would probably need to be larger to dry out a 'damp' AB filter during the daytime period."

Good idea, and you are well equipped to sort the issue. The desiccant needs to be a nontoxic material such as packets of silica gel. Assuming your hygrometer is battery powered, put it inside a sealed plastic bag along with the filter and desiccant. The drop of humidity inside the bag could be a proxy for moisture removal from the filter's surface. You can have 60%+ relative humidity in the house and yet a very arid climate inside the bag.

If 16 hours isn't long enough to create a favorable climate inside the bag, then that is all the more reason to get multiple filters and rotate their use.

If I recall correctly the best range of humidity for human health is 40-60%, and relative humidity levels of 55% and above tend to promote the growth of undesirable things like mold and mildew.

Heated air tends to be less humid. Although I'm not a fan of the AB filter strategy, I've wondered if minute or two of exposure to a hair dryer would help remove the moisture.

[LindanHotAir]

If you need a desiccant you can buy small quantities of calcium chloride under brands such as Dri-z-air in your local hardware store or RV supply store.  Place a layer of the crystals in the bottom of a mason jar. Suspend your filter above it and seal the jar. After the crystals start to dissolve you can reactivate them by heating the open jar in a warm 200 deg F or 100 C oven until the crystals solidify.

[WakeUpTime]

Today I got AB filters from Philips Japan. 

Your posting was an important one.  Thank you.  You would seem to be the first poster to report receiving an actual responsive action from Philips so far.  Philips Japan's response is something that Philips could have easily done for every country, without merely waiting the 2+ months for the 200+ various FDA foam replacement approvals.  I congratulate the Philips Japan country manager for taking immediate action with its local recalled users.

It confirms that individual countries (and individual Philips country offices) may work out their own agreements and procedures.  It's not necessarily the case the countries that aren't part of the official recall aren't getting any action from Philips.  If Philips ignores them, those countries may stop purchasing other Philips medical systems in the future.

Regarding the Philips Japan paperwork that accompanied the AB filter, we could assume the Japanese words only discuss the installation instructions, and nothing more.  It would be interesting if they gave any other indications.

[btreger]

OVERDRIVE

CPAP recall leaves truck drivers with sleep apnea between a rock and a hard place

This presents a critical decision for truckers with sleep apnea using affected Philips devices and their treating physicians. Such haulers can stop using the device and wait for the recall to play out to have the device repaired or replaced, or try to purchase a new device. Alternatively, they might continue using an affected device and take a chance with the potential health risks that prompted the recall. 

Gerry Shelton, a truck driver based in Boring, Oregon, filed a class-action lawsuit on June 29 against Philips seeking a refund, replacement with a non-defective device, costs for ongoing medical monitoring, and all other appropriate damages for all the injuries he has suffered as a result of his defective device.

According to the lawsuit, Shelton was diagnosed with sleep apnea and purchased a Philips Dreamstation BiPAP machine in 2020. Because of the recall, he allegedly was forced to stop using the machine, the lawsuit states, which also forced him to stop driving a truck “because he cannot drive with untreated sleep apnea.” The lawsuit also claims Shelton went into atrial fibrillation (increased and irregular heartbeat) as a result of not using the machine.

While Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations do not specifically address sleep apnea, truck drivers who are diagnosed with any condition that could affect their ability to drive safely, such as sleep apnea, are not permitted to drive unless effective treatment can be shown. In 2016, surveys indicated as much as 27% of Overdrive's audience of professional drivers were being treated for the condition.  

This is an ongoing problem as we all know, but with truckers being affected, this could only worsen our existing supply-chain problems.

Full article at:

https://www.overdriveonline.com/life/article/15066832/philips-cpap-recall-forces-tough-decision-for-truckers-with-apnea

[koala1]

Your posting was an important one.  Thank you.  You would seem to be the first poster to report receiving an actual responsive action from Philips so far. 「... 」 I congratulate the Philips Japan country manager for taking immediate action with its local recalled users.

Regarding the Philips Japan paperwork that accompanied the AB filter, we could assume the Japanese words only discuss the installation instructions, and nothing more.  It would be interesting if they gave any other indications.

Please let me clarify, there is no recall in Japan, no official statement from Philips. 
They only contacted medical organisations with information that there is problem with foam. From that point nothing happened. 
Country or medical organisations has no further info nor decisions about what to do.

I’m not Japanese, and get my info from diversified sources, but average Japanese has no English ability, and they are deprived from this important information. 


Reason for AB installation was also not explained. Those documents only ask to install it and explain how to do it. 

On the other hand I have checked serial number of my Japanese machine at US Philips recall site, and it is affected.

Maybe Philips have done something but the way they do it is not right.