SoClean sues Philips [updated]

[Jeff8356]

Another twist....

SoClean sues Philips
https://www.hmenews.com/article/soclean-sues-philips-seeks-damages-in-excess-of-200-million 
EDIT: The article seems to have disappeared from that website

Thankfully we have browser cache!-----

SOCLEAN SUES PHILIPS, SEEKS DAMAGES IN EXCESS OF $200 MILLION
News

HME News Staff
Updated 10:10 AM CDT, Tue October 12, 2021
PETERBOROUGH, N.H. – SoClean Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Philips, alleging the company has sought to blame it for problems related to its recall of certain respiratory devices.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for Massachusetts, alleges Philips has misled the public and engaged in acts of deliberate misdirection, placing blame on SoClean to divert attention away from obvious design flaws, including a poor choice of sound abatement foam, which led to its recent voluntary product recall of Philips’ CPAP machines, BiPAP machines, and ventilators.  
SoClean also alleges that Philips and its CEO and Chairman of the Board, Frans van Houten, made false and misleading statements regarding ozone cleaners that have had a negative impact on SoClean’s business. Among other things, the complaint states that Philips and its CEO wrongfully suggested to consumers, distributors, health care professionals, and the general public that SoClean and its ozone cleaners were somehow responsible for the product recall. 
“We are disappointed that Philips has decided to point the finger at SoClean for its product recall and has chosen to make false and misleading statements about our products,” said Robert Wilkins, CEO of SoClean. “By this lawsuit, SoClean intends to defend itself against Philips’ dishonest attacks, restore its hard-earned reputation, and correct the record for a consuming public that has been intentionally misled by Philips.” 
SoClean and other makers of CPAP cleaners have stood by the safety of their products.
 
 

CPAP, Philips Recall, SoClean

Let the games begin

[SarcasticDave94]

SoClean to clean Philips pockets. The not so good SoClean blames others for the consequences of it's bad idea of a product.

[Crimson Nape]

I think they have hidden that story. It took be to the HME Woman of the year nomination page. ...Unless SoClean is having an identity crisis.

[SarcasticDave94]

I saw that too.

News Flash...

SoClean has cleaned up that news item.

[Jeff8356]

No worries.  I edited my OP and copied the article from my cache.

Thanks for spotting that .....

A quick Google search brings up a few more articles.  Wonder how long it will take SoClean to sanitize those??? (pun intended) 

[Crimson Nape]

Just don't sniff your monitor!

[Jeff8356]

Just don't sniff your monitor!

Wait till you taste my virtual coffee....  

[Sleeprider]

Long before Philips announced its recall and advised against the use of Ozone cleaners, Resmed warned that the use of ozone would void warranties on its machines.  The Resmed announcement to modify its warranty was in January 2020, and the Philips recall was September 2021.  http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...E-MACHINES

To Our Valued Patient,

ResMed announced an update to its limited warranty that may affect whether you choose to use an ozone device
with your ResMed machine and mask. Please review the detail of this update below.

ResMed user guides advise patients on the recommended way to periodically clean ResMed machines,
components and masks. Some patients choose to use other means to clean and/or disinfect their equipment. With
the increased use of ozone devices, ResMed has observed that prolonged and repeated use of an ozone device
may eventually cause internal damage to a ResMed machine.

Warranty update: Effective for sales of ResMed products on or after February 1, 2020, ResMed’s limited warranty
will exclude damage to ResMed products caused by the use of ozone devices.  

ResMed is not taking a position on whether you should use an ozone device. That decision is up to you, as the
patient, to balance the convenience of using an ozone device versus the likelihood of potential damage to your
ResMed equipment. ResMed is reinforcing the cleaning instructions in its user guides, please refer to your user
guide for these instructions. This letter requires no action on your part.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the manufacturer of the ozone device you are
currently using or, for medical advice, contact your physician.

[hegel]

Resmed's warning about "potential damage to machines" has always been too vague, imo. Damage, how? to which components? Of course, now we likely know: damage to foam and possibly other 'soft' materials. Frankly it never occurred to me that there may be foam in these machines. I always assumed they were made from metal and silicon and plastic. I have my doubts as to whether ozone from a so Clean can eat through these sorts of materials, but others are sure it can.

Note that Resmed never says that it's studies show that So Clean can harm the patient--just the opposite, it leaves this up to the patient. It only warns about damage to the machine. Maybe they never performed any studies on health impacts.

Are there more foam--like components in a cpap machine, other than the sound deadening part?

At least now we're likely to see the results of studies on all this. Although both sides will doubtless produce studies that contradict the other.

[FirstNoele]

For those of us, who were using Dream-Station & never warned, we're also out the money wasted on the purchase of the So-Clean.  

When the first Phillips product began blowing backwards, I'd posted about it here.  Maybe the So-Clean caused that malfunction.