The in vitro diagnostics industry has turned in an impressive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a few problems are bound to surface. The U.S. FDA reported May 10 that the Accula test by San Diego-based Mesa Biotech Inc. has been recalled due to contamination of test materials at the manufacturing site, a problem that could lead to false negative findings with the test.

Murrysville, Pa.-based Philips Respironics Inc. has had its share of troubles with its devices for respiratory use, including several CPAP machines. The FDA reported March 21 that the company’s V60 and V60 Plus respirators are now the subjects of a class I recall due to the use of an expired adhesive that could ultimately lead to a shut-down of the devices, including instances in which the shut-down would not be accompanied by an alarm.

Boston Scientific Corp. sent warning notices of the potential for embolisms arising from use of its Spaceoar and Spaceoar Vue systems because of “inadvertent placement of Spaceoar gel into a blood vessel and subsequent migration of the hydrogel outside of the pelvis.”

Royal Philips NV has been handed a health care policy order requiring it to recall and replace 277,500 defective respiratory therapy devices in France within four months. Twelve ranges of respiratory device for patients who depend on mechanical breathing assistance as well as continuous positive airway pressure devices used to treat sleep apnea, have been affected by a design issue.

The FDA issued a rare 518(a) Notification Order to Royal Philips NV last week that requires the company to take more aggressive measures to notify patients, physicians and distributors about the June 2021 class I recall of its continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) systems. The recall stemmed from health risks posed by the deterioration of the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) noise reducing foam in the equipment.

The FDA reported that the recall of the Arrow-Trerotola percutaneous thrombolytic device is a class I recall due to the risk of tip damage during use. This hazard could result in detachment of the tip from the device basket, which could damage or block vessels, a potentially lethal hazard for the patient.

Supply chain issues overshadowed Royal Phillips NV fourth-quarter 2021 results, as the Dutch conglomerate reported sales of $5.5 billion (€4.9 billion), a 10% organic year-on-year decline. Philips management said sales were impacted by several headwinds, including supply chain challenges and postponement of equipment installations in hospitals related to COVID-19. The recall of the Respironics device also caused a double-digit decline in the sleep & respiratory business.

The FDA announced a class I recall of the Medtronic Hawk One directional atherectomy catheter system due to more than 160 reports of problems with the device’s guidewire. The catheter tip could break or separate when the guidewire prolapses, a problem that is associated with 55 injuries and no deaths, but the recall affects more than 95,000 units.

The FDA posted a recall of a vaporizer unit that is used in several anesthesia gas machines distributed by Getinge USA Sales LLC, of Wayne, N.J., an issue that has triggered eight complaints. While no injuries or deaths have been reported, this is a class I recall due to the prospect that the problem can trigger irritation of the lung as well as pulmonary edema.