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

[racprops]

Well I may be fooling my self but it seemed like my Dreamstation BiPap was losing pressure.

So I opened it to check on my duct tape seals. They look AOK.

I have been on Phillips systems for about 8 years, first a Open box System One 950 ASV machine that acted up within the first two years and was replaced with a 960 ASV that i used for about 3 years where it started acting up.

At this point I was on Medicare and access so I asked for a new machine...and was made to submit to a couple sleep studies where they said I only needed a CPAP/APAP, not feeling all that good about Phillips after two machine failures I tried a Resmed machine and after a week of hating it asked to switch to a Phillips and was given a Dreamstation APAP, which was better but I was still unhappy.

Two to three years of problem I got a Fitbit and saw I was not getting good REM or Deep sleep due to the poor response of the APAP machine so I got out my old 960 ASV and proved I needed it to get normal sleep cycles.

At this point I was unable to get Medicare or access to buy a ASV machine so I found a rebuilt 950 for $250.00 and switched to it and then had the 960 also rebuilt for $250.00. These rebuilds get new mother boards and fans.

I then used the 950 for a year or two when it started acting up and found Phillips will no longer repair my 950. And I was warned the 960 will soon be unrebuildable as well.

I then found a company that was willing to rebuild my Dreamstation APAP as a Dreamstation ASV, for about 3x the old rebuild price but that was 1/2 the cost of a good used machine.

Sadly the part that is the cause of all the fuss is the black foam used as sound deading in the housing around the fan.

This Utube video cover that info on the foam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=deskto...e=youtu.be

So I took apart my back up Dreamstation BiPap machine and found this housing is a sealed unit so I cut flaps into the two sections and pulled the foam out using hemostats. And resealed the cuts with duct tape.

This seems a simple repair, all Phillips needs to do is replace these housings with good new units with new foam or no form and perhaps a little better sound baffling to lower the noise.

Personally I will want no foam...after all this stuff has been in as far as I can tell every system they made for the past 10+ years, and they JUST found out it might be bad for people!!!??

I do not want to wait another 10 years to be told then "OPPs guess the new foam is also bad...."

So no foam for me thank you I will learn to live with a little noise.

Well wish me luck as I am going to bed with my modified system.  

First SC Card report of 12 Minutes looked OK...will see what happens in my first sleep cycle.

Good night.

Rich

Good info but I am not sure duct tape is the ideal material to use in your machine.  

I agree, but it is only a tiny bit sealing small separation cracks where I cut the plastic, and we know the foam is bad...it was that or no machine.

Rich

[brianc18t]

If you are concerned, a better fix might be JB Weld.  It is supposed to be non toxic and food safe.  The 5 minute set stuff would probably be plenty strong.  You might just want to scuff the plastic up a little with sandpaper first to help it get good adhesion.

[racprops]

If you are concerned, a better fix might be JB Weld.  It is supposed to be non toxic and food safe.  The 5 minute set stuff would probably be plenty strong.  You might just want to scuff the plastic up a little with sandpaper first to help it get good adhesion.

Thanks that is a good idea. I am also concerned that the foam helps control the air flow as the BiPap seems not as good as before.

Curses on Phillips.

Rich

[GrumpyHere]

I looked at connecting the filter at the other end...between tne mask and the tube but it does not seem to fit?

Make sure the swivel connector is on the mask. Lots of time it comes off the mask and is stuck on the hose.

https://youtu.be/_JT0Q7OsXW4

[SarcasticDave94]

The big hole in that argument is no other PAP brand is doing massive "recalls" like Respironics is for their foam issues.

[cathyf]

It also seems some if not all problems maybe caused by those silly systems cleaners so we may need to sue THEM...

Lucky I have NOT ever use any device to clean my systems...

Wish we knew for sure the cleaner caused these problem.

My husband and I have a running joke when the William Shatner commercials come on late-night TV -- he says "would Captain Kirk steer you wrong?!?"

Yesterday I got to say "Captain Kirk is trying to kill us!!!"

[Elgeeone]

FYI, the Tampa VA issues Respironics/Phillips machines solely. The Orlando and Charleston SC VA issues Resmed. Tampa took my veteran husband’s auto bilevel when we moved into their locality.  He has a Dreamstation 1 now. After many attempts to get a response so he could swap his for a VAuto, I finally got a call. 
This is what I was told: 

“The VA sees this as a voluntary recall, the doctors feel that all their Respironics patients should continue to use their machines as that outweighs the dangers of foam particles and outgassing”
They do not intend to replace machines as of this time.

They also refused to write an rx so we could purchase online. 

We were fortunate as one of your suppliers does not require an rx and the Vauto has a significant discount right now which is rare. It will be here tomorrow. 

Would be interested in hearing other VA pap users experiences.

[SarcasticDave94]

I'm not surprised on VA poor treatment. Some VA centers are terrible. Glad you went out on your own and got a ResMed.

[jtech1]

The Philips web site says: "We cannot stress enough that Philips is treating this matter with the highest possible seriousness"

And under "What to do" for Patients registration for recall: "Please check back soon as we will be adding this functionality within the next few weeks."

They should have already had this ready at the time of the recall announcement... and clear info on what they are going to offer... if anything.

So now us Philips users all sit around for "weeks" waiting to see what will happen, or go spend $ out of our own pockets to stay treated.

[sawinglogz]

This statement bothers me. It seem PR is giving some of us a choice: Continue using your Dreamstation  or stop using it. If you can not afford or can not get an alternative device...then decide if the risk of cancer from the broken foam is less than the cardiovascular-Respiratory and Neurodegenerative complications that one can get from sleep apnea?  Uhmm...hope that I am reading this incorrectly?

It's simply liability shifting.

They can say, from this point on, that they advised patients not to use the device.

If your doctor says to continue using it, they would argue that any harm that befalls you thereafter is the doctor's liability, not theirs.

And if your insurance won't provide an alternative, then they could additionally argue that any harm is your insurer's liability, and again not theirs.