Philips ventilator may cause cancer? France launched an investigation into it.

Phoenix New Media Technology News Beijing time on September 8 news, the Dutch medical equipment company Philips previously said that because the foam parts of the ventilator may degrade and become toxic, resulting in cancer, so it recalled some machines. On Thursday, September 8, local time, the Paris prosecutor's office launched a preliminary investigation into respiratory devices recalled by Philips, a Dutch medical device maker.

In announcing the recall, Philips said the foam used to suppress machine sound could degrade and put small particles side by side, irritating the respiratory tract. Gases released from degraded foams can also be toxic or have a risk of cancer. The company is one of the largest manufacturers of sleep breathing pauses and ventilators and is currently replacing about 5.5 million devices, of which 2/3 need to be recalled in the United States.

The company recommends that users stop using these machines for the time being. It said the incident would lead to a "revenue headwind" in the departments that made the equipment, but this would be made up for by other businesses. Philips also said it was working with health authorities to safely replace the foam, but that it must first remove testing and regulatory barriers.