Philips Respironics—a subsidiary of Royal Philips—has provided an update on a voluntary recall notification it initiated for certain sleep and respiratory care products.

Philips Respironics—together with certified testing laboratories and other qualified third-party experts—has been conducting comprehensive testing and research to address potential health risks related to the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam in the devices.

The test aimed to better assess and scope potential patient health risks related to possible emission of particulates from degraded foam and certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Philips Respironics’ update covers the test results and assessment to date of the VOC emissions of the first-generation DreamStation devices. The first-generation DreamStation devices represent the majority of the registered affected devices. Additional testing is ongoing.

Review of this assessment by an outside medical panel and Philips Respironics has determined that exposure to the level of VOCs identified to date for the first-generation DreamStation devices is not typically anticipated to result in long-term health consequences for patients.

The update on these findings is intended to inform healthcare providers of the most recent data, but the overall guidance for physicians and patients in the recall notification remains unchanged at this time.

At the time the recall notification was issued, Philips Respironics relied on an initial, limited data set and toxicological risk assessment. Since then, using ISO 18562 guidance, VOC toxicological risk assessments were performed by certified testing laboratories and a qualified third-party expert based on the initial and new VOC testing performed to date.

Philips Respironics has made this data available to the FDA and other competent authorities and is in the process of sharing this data with healthcare providers and patients.

It is important to note that the tested DreamStation devices were not exposed to ozone cleaning, in accordance with the instructions for use.

Additionally, this new assessment is limited to the evaluation of VOCs for first-generation DreamStation devices, and does not evaluate the risks of potential foam particulates or cover other devices affected by the recall. Further health risk assessments are ongoing.

Comprehensive particulate testing and analyses are now expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2022, as testing protocols in compliance with the full extent of the relevant ISO standards for all affected product platforms require long lead times of multiple months. Philips Respironics will continue to provide updates on findings from these assessments.