Astral 100 and Astral 150 ventilators
Published 24 August 2016
Product
Astral 100 and Astral 150 ventilators provide support to patients with respiratory difficulties resulting from health conditions of varying severity. They can be used in both health facilities and home settings. These ventilators have an internal battery that is designed to deliver continuous power when AC power is disrupted or when a patient is mobile (for example, in a wheelchair). The internal battery is intended to provide power for up to eight hours under normal conditions. When a ventilator is being used with the internal battery as the sole power source, the 'low battery' alarm is designed to activate when there are 20 minutes of ventilation time remaining and the 'critically low battery' alarm is designed to activate when there are 10 minutes of ventilation time remaining.
Why it was recalled
ResMed has received a number of reports regarding the performance of the internal battery in Astral 100 and Astral 150 ventilators. According to these reports, an internal electrical issue has led to ventilation stopping without either the 'low battery' or 'critically low battery' alarms activating as intended.
Hazard
If ventilation stops without prior warning, 'ventilator-dependent' patients who are using the internal battery as the sole power source (for example, during mobile use or when AC power is unavailable or interrupted) may be at risk of serious health problems.
Source: Product Safety Australia. RecallMatch AU provides a screening summary and is independent of the ACCC.