Recall of Device Recall Verify BowieDick Test Card

According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration, this recall involved a device in United States that was produced by Steris Corporation.

What is this?

A correction or removal action taken by a manufacturer to address a problem with a medical device. Recalls occur when a medical device is defective, when it could be a risk to health, or when it is both defective and a risk to health.

Learn more about the data here
  • Type of Event
    Recall
  • Event ID
    63129
  • Event Risk Class
    Class 2
  • Event Number
    Z-2417-2012
  • Event Initiated Date
    2012-07-03
  • Event Date Posted
    2012-09-20
  • Event Status
    Terminated
  • Event Country
  • Event Terminated Date
    2013-03-27
  • Event Source
    USFDA
  • Event Source URL
  • Notes / Alerts
    U.S. data is current through June 2018. All of the data comes from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, except for the category Manufacturer Parent Company.
    The Parent Company was added by ICIJ.
    The parent company information is based on 2017 public records.
  • Extra notes in the data
    Sterilizer, chemical - Product Code MLR
  • Reason
    Steris has learned that the verify bowie dick test cards are not performing to product specifications. specifically, test cards have resulted in false fail results when sterilizer performance is within acceptable ranges.
  • Action
    Steris Corporation sent a Urgent Voluntary Recall Notice dated July 3, 2012, to all affected customers. The letter identified the product the problem and the action needed to be taken by the customer. Customers were instructed to examine their inventory and compare the lot numbers printed on the box with the listed lots. If they have products from the affected lot numbers to contact STERIS Customer Service for account credit. After notifying STERIS of the amount of recalled product on hand they are to immediately destroy the product. Distributors are to also notify their customers of the recall. They are to send a copy of the Customer Recall Notice. They are to inventory their stock and notify STERIS of any remaining recalled product for replacement product. All recalled product should be destroyed. Please contact your STERIS Account Manager or STERIS Customer Service at 1-800-548-4873.

Device

  • Model / Serial
    Model #S3098, Serial #"s: H20013, H20014, and H20016.
  • Product Classification
  • Device Class
    2
  • Implanted device?
    No
  • Distribution
    Worldwide Distribution--USA (nationwide) including the states of AL, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, IN, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK,OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV and WY. and the country of Canada.
  • Product Description
    Verify¿ Bowie-Dick Test Card, Model #S3098, Steris Biological Operations, 9325 Pinecone Drive, Mentor, OH 44060 || The Verify Bowie-Dick Test Card consists of a card printed on one side with bars of chemical indicator ink. On the opposite side of the card, space is provided for critical cycle information to be recorded. The card is laminated inside a thin clear plastic enclosure. The enclosure has two holes in it to allow air removal and steam penetration. The preassembled test is used to evaluate the effectiveness of air removal from the sterilizer chamber during prevacuum pulse steam sterilizer cycle. Following a prevacuum cycle, the chemical bars of the Bowie-Dick Test card uniformly darken indicating that residual air has been sufficiently removed to allow complete steam penetration into the test card. If air is trapped in the card during the exposure phase of the cycle, the color change of the bars will be incomplete or uneven. Thus the card can provide an immediate indication of inadequate removal of air during a cycle. The Bowie-Dick Type test is performed in an empty chamber each day the sterilizer is to be used, usually before the first sterilization cycle.
  • Manufacturer

Manufacturer

  • Manufacturer Address
    Steris Corporation, 5960 Heisley Rd, Mentor OH 44060-1834
  • Manufacturer Parent Company (2017)
  • Source
    USFDA