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

[chasmm]

I really hate news articles like that.

...

I agree. It's sensational journalism intended to pull in a reader and generate clicks.

[chasmm]

So, I've got a question...

I've seen posts here on Apnea Board, and certainly all over Facebook about the "nastiness" of recertified machines. But, are they really?

I've been curious about this, and am now more so since I received a recertified DS1 for my recalled DS1. Is it really as disgusting a proposition as some would lead us to believe?

I'm wondering just how much of my exhalation goes back into the machine. My mask (P30i) has a couple of vents for the exhalation and beyond that I've got a 6 foot section of tubing that my breath would have to go back through (likely against pressure) in order to get back to the machine. 

And I get it...the idea of using someone else's medical equipment can be off-putting. But am I likely to be dealing with someone else's cooties?

Sure, there's the issue of trusting that the machines have been truly cleaned. Putting a lot of trust in Philips at this point seems iffy, at best. Part of me would argue that they've earned NO trust, but the other part thinks that with a spotlight on them, Philips would be best serving their own interest by trying to avoid further scrutiny.

So, it's a serious question, at least for me.

[StratCat48]

chasmm......

For both your previous posts, it's not much different than politics and the media, people get drawn in to the sensationalism and then draw conclusions (mostly biased and usually false) that they become to believe to be true. Herd mentality

[ST Dog]

I'm wondering just how much of my exhalation goes back into the machine. My mask (P30i) has a couple of vents for the exhalation and beyond that I've got a 6 foot section of tubing that my breath would have to go back through (likely against pressure) in order to get back to the machine. 

And I get it...the idea of using someone else's medical equipment can be off-putting. But am I likely to be dealing with someone else's cooties?

Given how many people have had used machines, sold on eBay, FB, Craigs List, etc, or just given to them by friends/family, I find the sudden revulsion humorous. The risk is minimal and far less than most things in life.

I can't find tests/videos to prove it, but I doubt much air from exhale enters the machine. Volume and flow rates just don't support that. Masks vent 20+ L per minute at lower pressure (even more at higher pressures). The half liter or so that you exhale goes out the vent. 


Then there are the "legitimate" resellers, including the one I bought a used AS10 from, that clean and calibrate machines.
(early on I know this recall would take a while. The numbers were clear. So I bought a used AS10 with 1200 hrs on it for $400)

Yes, Philips is in the spotlight. I highly doubt they are not cleaning/disinfecting as they claim. Or that they aren't replacing the air chamber(with foam) and motor as stated. So 90%+ of the air path is new, and what's left was disinfected. That's a lot more than a machine from FB or you cousin's closet.

[chasmm]

... Herd mentality

...I doubt much air from exhale enters the machine. Volume and flow rates just don't support that. Masks vent 20+ L per minute at lower pressure (even more at higher pressures). The half liter or so that you exhale goes out the vent. 

Thanks, both of you! 
I didn't hesitate to hook up the recertified DS1 and test it out for a few days. I guess I just don't think it's that big of a deal. Of course, I'd love to have a brand-new DS1 as a replacement...but it didn't happen. I'm going to use that DS1 as my back-up machine...and if it comes to using it for an extended time, I will. 
I was just curious about others' opinions about it.
I certainly was going to ask that on FB. I'm pretty sure most of them would have me dead of cooties by now...

[WakeUpTime]

March 2023 Update: In February, the FDA updated the number of adverse medical events connected to recalled Philips CPAP devices, as well as other recalled breathing machines manufactured by the company, indicating nearly 350 deaths have been linked to sound abatement foam problems, as well as almost 100,000 incident reports.
https://www.aboutlawsuits.com/philips-cpap-machines/

Status conferences, ordered by Judge Conti, are to become more frequent:

April 20, 2023
May 24, 2023
June 15, 2023
July 20, 2023
August 17, 2023
September 21, 2023
October 19, 2023
November 16, 2023
December 14, 2023

The above-referenced status conferences will commence immediately upon the conclusion of the status conferences scheduled in re: SoClean, Inc., Marketing Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3021, which are scheduled on the same dates to begin at 11:00 a.m.;
https://www.aboutlawsuits.com/350-deaths-recalled-cpap-sleep-apnea-machines/

It's interesting how the Philips Recall effectiveness has varied considerably by country.  Philips U.S. seems well into the last tier of replacements, the group that I'm in.  Australia is well ahead of the U.S. as a result of Australia's strict Consumer Protection laws and effective Health Authority.  A recent news story seems to indicate that Canada is trailing the U.S.  It would be interesting to learn how affected owners are doing in the U.K. and elsewhere.

[btreger]

Philips CPAP Lawsuit Updates

The latest Philips CPAP lawsuit update shows there haven’t been any settlements or jury verdicts yet. But bellwether trials could occur as early as 2024 if the judge follows the plaintiffs’ proposed schedule.

However, defendants are pushing for a schedule that would place the first bellwether in 2025 or 2026. 

2023 CPAP Lawsuit Update Timeline

February 16, 2023:  420 cases are pending in the MDL, 62 more than last month. Some lawyers expect this number to grow to over 1,000 by the end of 2023.

February 9, 2023:  FDA updated its medical device reports database with new injury reports linked to recalled Philips CPAP devices. “Since April 2021, the FDA has received more than 98,000 MDRs, including 346 reports of death, reportedly associated with the PE-PUR foam breakdown or suspected foam breakdown,” FDA said.

January 30, 2023:  Philips announced more than 6,000 layoffs in the wake of the CPAP recalls.

January 29, 2023: At the monthly status conference, plaintiffs set forth a planned schedule that would start bellwether trials sometime in 2024. Defendants submitted a plan where trials wouldn’t start until 2025, potentially 2026.
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) first consolidated more than 110 federal CPAP lawsuits against Philips in October 2021 under Senior U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti in Pittsburgh. 

As of Feb. 16, 2023, Philips faces 420 federal lawsuits in Pennsylvania. The company also faces several class action lawsuits for financial damages.

Potential CPAP Settlement Amounts

Some lawyers have speculated that possible Philips CPAP settlement amounts could range from $100,000 to $500,000. However, it’s still too early in the litigation to give an accurate dollar amount.

Typically, jury verdicts from bellwether trials give plaintiffs and defendants an idea of the value of each case, though cases can settle any time before trial. So far, no trial dates have been set.

   NOTE: It was my understanding at the start of the Class Action trial that there would not be a jury, Judge Conti would be the sole decision maker.
 
Philips CPAP Lawsuits I 2023 Recall Lawsuit Updates (drugwatch.com)

[btreger]

ABOUT LAWSUITS

Philips Motion To Dismiss CPAP Injury Lawsuits Described as Baseless in Plaintiffs’ Response

The plaintiffs ask the judge to deny the CPAP injury lawsuit dismissal motion, saying Philips is trying to back out of a process the parties agreed to early in the pretrial proceedings.

Philips Respironics is asking a federal judge to dismiss the Master Complaint brought on behalf of all former users pursuing CPAP injury lawsuits, in a move plaintiffs indicate “baselessly” challenges a specific process for pleading claims that the manufacturer consented to and benefited from while ignoring the substance of individual Short Form Complaints filed by each claimant.

“Having consented to a specific process for pleading personal injury claims and having benefitted from that process, Philips baselessly challenges the Master Complaint for serving its purpose, and, in doing so, ignores the substance of the Short Form Complaints, the contents of which were agreed upon by the Parties,” Plaintiffs wrote in their response. “Many of Philips’ case-specific arguments are antithetical to the purpose of a Master Complaint and inappropriate for its dismissal.”

Note: Now the real legal battle begins, it was just a matter of time before this was going to happen.

Philips Motion To Dismiss CPAP Injury Lawsuits Described as Baseless in Plaintiffs' Response - AboutLawsuits.com

[btreger]

MASS
DEVICE

Philips names Julia Strandberg as a chief business leader for the connected care business

Strandberg’s appointment becomes effective April 24, 2023. She joins Philips’ executive committee, reporting to CEO Roy Jakobs. As of April 1, 2023, Philips intends for its related care business to comprise monitoring, sleep and respiratory care, and enterprise informatics.

Her role could include involvement with the ongoing Philips Respironics recall. Here’s how that recall unfolded. She succeeded Dan Leonard, who took on the part on an interim basis when Jakobs became CEO in October 2022.


Philips names Julia Strandberg connected care business leader (massdevice.com)

[TimaaaaaaaahRocks]

Still no 'official' news on the terms of the DOJ consent decree? 

The CD is going to be a huge win for the plaintiffs. There is no way in ech-ee-double-toothpicks DOJ is going to give RESP a pass.