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  5. Covidien, LP Recalls Puritan Bennett 980 Series Ventilator Due to Manufacturing Assembly Error
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Covidien, LP Recalls Puritan Bennett 980 Series Ventilator Due to Manufacturing Assembly Error

The FDA has identified this as a Class I recall, the most serious type of recall. Use of these devices may cause serious injuries or death. 

Recalled Product 

  • Product Names: Puritan Bennett 980 Series Ventilator
  • Model Numbers: See Recall Database Entries 
  • Distribution Dates:  February 23, 2017 to April 4, 2020
  • Devices Recalled in the U.S.: 135 affected devices in the US
  • Date Initiated by Firm: November 4, 2021

Device Use 

Ventilators are machines that provide respiratory support by acting as bellows to move air in and out of your lungs. Your health care provider sets the ventilator to control how often it pushes air into your lungs and how much air you get. 

Reason for Recall

Covidien, LP (part of Medtronic) is recalling its Puritan Bennett 980 Series Ventilator due to a capacitor manufacturing assembly error that may cause the ventilator to become inoperable or stop working as intended.

If this occurs, it could result in the loss of ventilation and serious adverse events such as hypercarbia (an increase of carbon dioxide in the blood), hypoxemia (an abnormally low amount of oxygen in the bloodstream), neurological injury or death.

There have been six complaints and one death regarding this device issue. There have been no reported injuries.

Who May Be Affected  

  • Health care providers using the affected Puritan Bennett 980 Series Ventilator
  • Patients receiving care using the affected Puritan Bennett 980 Series Ventilator

What to Do

On November 4, 2021, Medtronic sent an “Urgent Medical Device Correction” letter to customers requesting:

  1. Identify affected devices and discontinue use of these devices.
  2. Remove the affected devices from clinical service and quarantine those ventilators until such time that a Medtronic Technical Service Engineer can inspect and replace the affected printed circuit board assemblies.
  3. Notify all personnel in all care environments in which the affected PB980 series ventilators are used about this medical device correction.
  4. If your facility has distributed affected PB980 series ventilators to other persons or facilities, please promptly forward a copy of this letter to those recipients.
  5. Complete the Urgent Medical Device Correction form included with the letter and return it as directed to confirm your receipt and understanding of this information.
  6. If you are aware of any incidents related to this issue, please contact the Medtronic Technical Support Department immediately at 1-800-255-6774, option 4, and then option 1 to provide information regarding those events so regulatory reporting obligations can be fulfilled.
  7. Work with the Medtronic Technical Support Department if you require assistance finding alternative ventilation devices.

Contact Information

Customers with questions about this recall should contact your Medtronic representative or Technical Service at 1-800-255-6774. 

Additional Resources 

Medical Device Recall Database Entries

How do I report a problem? 

Health care professionals and consumers may report adverse reactions or quality problems they experienced using these devices to MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program using an online form, regular mail, or FAX.
 

 

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