Mindray Medical, a medical device manufacturer based in Mahwah, New Jersey, recently issued a voluntary recall for its anesthesia delivery systems under the A3 and A5 product line. According to a complaint by a customer, an improperly-seated carbon dioxide absorbent canister can lead to a gas leak.

The leak can occur if a healthcare provider doesn’t install a CO₂ canister in the correct way. In some cases, the gasket that connects the CO₂ canister to the anesthesia delivery system can become misaligned. In most cases, a CO₂ leak should be noticed during startup testing of the unit.

According to information released by the company, the A5 and A3 anesthesia systems can still be used safely. However, customers must confirm that the canister gasket is properly installed before use of the device.

Affected gaskets were shipped between May 21st of 2011 and July 15th of 2012. Shipments of the affected gasket canisters went to the United States, Australia and Latin America. The company initially warned customers about the recall by postal mail in August of this year. To date, the faulty gasket has been replaced on approximately 70 percent of all units.

References http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mindray-ds-usa-inc-has-initiated-a-voluntary-recall-affecting-the-a3a5-anesthesia-delivery-system-179228541.html