Articles Tagged with PE-PUR foam

An Update to Philips CPAP and BiPAP Machine Recall

Published on: October 13, 2023 | By Clay Hodges

Philips Respironics (Philips) is a major manufacturer of the CPAP and BiPAP machines that help people with central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. Philips also makes ventilators that have no doubt saved lives in hospitals and other healthcare settings. These machines use a special type of foam to reduce the sound and vibration coming from these devices. Unfortunately, the foam Philips chose years ago can degrade and injure users, which eventually led to a 2021 CPAP recall. Let’s take a look at a recent development concerning Philips and its ventilator, CPAP and BiPAP products.

A Brief Overview of How We Got Here

In June 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Safety Communication notifying the public that Philips had recalled certain BiPAP, CPAP and ventilator machines. There were concerns that the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) foam used in these devices could break down, allowing small bits of foam to enter a person’s body. The FDA also mentioned that the foam could off-gas and release harmful gasses into the machine’s airflow causing additional harm.

Where to Learn More About CPAP Lawsuits

Published on: January 25, 2023 | By Clay Hodges

For the past year or so, I’ve written extensively about the Philips Respironics (Philips) CPAP, BiPAP and ventilator FDA recalls. Hundreds of CPAP lawsuits have been filed against Philips. The primary problem comes from the foam material Philips uses to reduce the sound and vibration from these machines.

What’s Wrong With the Foam?

These machines use polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) foam that can break down into little bits and enter a user’s airway. The foam can also break down by off-gassing harmful chemicals that the user inhales. These can potentially cause health problems for users, such as:

Is There a Cancer Risk from Using CPAP Machines with PE-PUR Foam?

Published on: January 18, 2022 | By Clay Hodges

If you’ve used a Philips Respironics (Philips) CPAP or BiPAP machine to help with your sleep apnea, then there’s a good chance you’re aware that your Philips machine could be subject to a recall. I’ve written about this recall, as well as the health risks related to it and potential legal options if you’ve been harmed by your defective CPAP or BiPAP machine. In this blog post, I’ll look at one of the reasons why using one of these defective machines is so dangerous. I’ll focus on some of the studies that support the possibility that using one of these Philips machines could put you at greater risk for developing cancer.

How Do the Philips CPAP and BiPAP Machines Potentially Cause Cancer?

Many Philips CPAP and BiPAP machines (as well as Philips ventilators, but this blog post won’t focus on those) are made with polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) foam. This foam is used to reduce the perceived sound and vibration coming from the CPAP and BiPAP machines. This is because many people who use these machines only use them when trying to sleep. So it’s important to make the machine as quiet as possible.

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