One of the greatest contributions of technology is the advancement of medicine through the ages. The countless discoveries in medicinal science have helped us in combating different plagues and diseases that were a threat to the whole world’s population. Untreatable illnesses back in the day are now nothing but common illnesses that may be easily cured using medicinal technology. Due to the advancements in medical technology, surgeries, and medical operations also became easier for physicians to perform and it has raised the success rates significantly. Truly, technology has made things easier for everyone today compared to the time when medicine was only reliant on medicinal plants and herbs.
Medical technology allows for better treatment.
Still, relying too much on technology is a hundred percent safe because technology and devices sometimes encounter errors and malfunctions. In these cases, this becomes a great liability for the patients, as well as the doctors since this can put the health of a patient at risk. There have been many instances when medical technology has failed to save the lives of patients and this has caused a huge blow in the reputation and the image of the producers of the devices. Some companies and manufacturers had to deal with these issues and most of the time, the companies will have to recall their products and experience losses in sales, or worse face legal issues and bankruptcy. This is why it is important for consumers to always check the reliability of medical devices and carefully observe the effectiveness of the products as they use them for their treatment.
In case a customer encounters a malfunction in their medical devices, it is important that they alert the authorities in charge of monitoring and certifying medical devices so that the involved companies will be forced to take responsibility. One of the possible moves that a company can take in these situations is a product recall. A product recall is done by taking back all the products from the markets and halting the production of the said product. This is a preventive measure that keeps faulty products from reaching the consumers, therefore minimizing the damages and risks to the consumers.
Product recalls are usually a highlight in the news since it concerns public health and safety and the public must be warned immediately about the faulty products to avoid further purchases. In this article, we will look at a controversial product recall involving medical devices produced by a renowned multinational conglomerate, Philips.
Philips’ Product Recall on Sleep and Respiratory Care Devices
Philips is a multinational conglomerate that was founded way back in 1891 in the Netherlands. The company started as a manufacturer of carbon-filament lamps and they have slowly expanded to other electrical products such as radios, electric shavers, light bulbs, sound systems, and healthcare devices. Today, the company is one of the leading manufacturers of medical devices.
A headset product made by Philips.
One of the notable products produced by Philips were respiratory devices that aided people with obstructive sleep apnea in sleeping. These devices come in the form of a respiratory mask made from synthetic materials and are attached to a pump that regulates air pressure in the respiratory canals of the patient. These devices help the patient to sleep easily and overcome sleep apnea, a condition that interrupts the breathing patterns while sleeping and causes the person to wake up, therefore obstructing sleep.
In June 2021, Philips announced a product recall on their respiratory devices, specifically the Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (Bi-Level PAP) and the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices. The issue was that the foam used for sound abatement was prone to deteriorating and may break down into smaller particles. This posed an issue as the particles are prone to entering the nose and airway canals of the patients. If this goes unnoticed, this may develop serious health risks for the patients over a period of time. This may cause the patients to inhale harmful chemicals that were used in the foam which produces toxins and carcinogens and this may lead to lung cancer and other respiratory infections.
According to the statement of Philips, the recall was necessary to protect their customers and to quickly resolve the problem with comprehensive repairs and replacement programs for the affected devices. The company is now working on an updated material for the sound abatement foam that is closely monitored by the regulatory commissions. The company is also facing class-action lawsuits from different consumers and companies regarding this matter on their CPAP devices and the company is sure to have gained losses on this issue. If you want to know more about the specifics of this case, read more about the lawsuit from, one of the leading law firms in this case.
Leave a Reply