WARNING LETTER
DeVilbiss Healthcare LLC
MARCS-CMS 619182 —
November 23, 2021
Delivery Method:
UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OVERNIGHT DELIVERY and EMAIL
Product:
Medical Devices
Recipient:
Recipient Name
Derek Lampert
Recipient Title
Chief Executive Officer
DeVilbiss Healthcare LLC
99 Seaview Blvd, Suite 210
Port Washington
,
NY
11050
United States
Issuing Office:
Office of Medical Device and Radiological Health Operations (Division 1)
United States
Dear Mr. Lampert:
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an inspection of your firm’s medical device operations at 100 DeVilbiss Dr, Somerset, PA, from 7/28/21 – 8/25/21.  During the inspection, an FDA investigator determined that your firm is a manufacturer of oxygen concentrators, nebulizers, suction units, non-continuous ventilators and related accessories.  Under section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), 21 U.S.C. § 321(h), these products are devices because they are intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or to affect the structure or any function of the body.
This inspection revealed that these devices are adulterated within the meaning of section 501(h) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 351(h), in that the methods used in, or the facilities or controls used for, their manufacture, packing, storage, or installation are not in conformity with the current good manufacturing practice requirements of the Quality System regulation found at Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 820. We received responses on September 16, 2021 and November 12, 2021 from Tony Sapp, Director, Regulatory Affairs and Audits, concerning our investigator’s observations noted on the Form FDA 483, List of Inspectional Observations (FDA-483) that was issued on August 25, 2021.  We address the responses below, in relation to each of the noted violations.  These violations include, but are not limited to, the following:
1.    Failure to confirm that design outputs meet design input requirements during design verification testing, as required by 21 CFR 820.30(f).  Specifically,
The model 525 oxygen concentrator is designed using the ZW280D2 compressor, which is specified by the manufacturer for an operating ambient temperature range of 40°F-
(b)(4)
°F (5°C-
(b)(4)
°C).  Design verification test report for IEC 60601-01, Medical Electrical Equipment, report no. 31691761.005, 2018, Table 11-1-1, page 149, states that thermocouple measurements taken in the interior of the finished device showed an interior temperature above the temperature specifications of the compressor in
(b)(4)
of the
(b)(4)
measurement sites at an environmental temperature of 22.9°C. At 40˚C, the interior temperature was above the temperature specifications of the compressor at all ten measurement sites.
We reviewed your responses for this matter and conclude that they are not adequate.  In your initial response you provided test reports that showed device interior temperatures ambient to the compressor to be frequently above the stated specification of
(b)(4)
°C.  You based your response on a statement in the manufacturer’s specification, “It is the responsibility of the user to determine the suitability of the product for their intended use.”  Your response maintains that this statement allows you to use a compressor for a use above its specified temperature range as long as you perform testing that shows the compressor is able to function above its recommended range.  This testing does not address all aspects of the product’s intended use, including the long-term effects on a compressor that operates for many hours above its specified range, including overheating, worn cup seals, fan failures, and shortened life span.
Included in your initial response is your “GSE Compressor Life Test Report,” which you maintain, demonstrates that the compressor is capable of operating for a normal lifetime at
(b)(4)
°C. This document, however, is of a study done to establish the expected lifespan of the compressor through accelerated aging.  The
(b)(4)
°C ambient temperature is one of the stress factors used in the study.  This would demonstrate not that
(b)(4)
°C is acceptable for long term operation, but instead shows that it is a high temperature that stresses the compressor for purposes of accelerated aging.
In your response of 11/12/21 you provided two test reports, “Compressor Temperature Test Protocol and Report,” and “
(b)(4)
Test Protocol and Report.”  The test of compressor temperatures ran for a duration of
(b)(4)
and used visual acceptance criteria of “no damage or deformation.” Ambient temperatures were recorded within the
(b)(4)
period that were higher than the manufacturer’s specified temperature for the compressors.  The 525 Oxygen Concentrator is typically run for much longer periods of time than only
(b)(4)
, resulting in possible temperature
(b)(4)
that could result in much higher ambient temperatures over time.  The test of
(b)(4)
did not include any definition of a time element in the test method or results.  It cannot be determined the duration of the test, or how often data readings were taken.
Please provide documentation that describes how you will address the fact that you are commercially marketing a device that is designed and built with a major component that has been shown by testing to be operating in ambient temperatures above its specified temperature range.
2.    Failure to maintain complaint files and establish and maintain procedures for receiving, reviewing, and evaluating complaints by a formally designated unit, as required by 21 CFR 820.198(a).  Specifically,
Your Complaint Handling Procedure, DVHC-SOP-0020, rev. 2, states in section 6.0 that Regulatory Affairs will ensure that complaints are reviewed and evaluated “in a timely and uniform fashion.”  The procedure further provides in section 7.3, that a determination is made whether serious injury or death was reported and whether medical intervention was required. You are not following your procedure in that complaints are not documented in a timely manner and you are not documenting the determination of whether or not the complaint is reportable under 21 CFR Part 803 – Medical Device Reporting.  Examples include, but are not limited to:
•    Complaint RO_0320803 was reported to an employee in customer service on 01/19/2021 and described a patient who was in distress from receiving low oxygen; however, the complaint was documented on 04/02/2021, 73 days later, simply as “defective alarm.”
•    Complaints were not reviewed for MDR reportability as prescribed in DVHC-SOP-0020, Complaint Handling Procedure, section 7.4, that requires each complaint to be evaluated for reportability according to Adverse Event Reporting procedure DVHC-SOP-0021, including documentation on the applicable form, Adverse Event Determination Form (DVHC-FORM-0105), which requires providing all information necessary to make a reportability determination.  Examples include:
RO_0264829, received on 04/02/2020
­ RO_0252308, received on 1/28/2020
­ RO_0208546, received on 04/05/2019
­ RO_0180765, received on 08/23/2018
•    Complaint #RO_0208546, recorded on 04/05/2019, alleges a possible malfunction with a DeVilbiss 525DS Oxygen Concentrator, serial number
(b)(4)
, in which the complaint documented “extremely hot in the patient’s home to the point where they were smoking and too hot to touch. The one that happened today happened during a set up and the machine was only running for about 20 minutes while my tech was doing his instruction. The wife commented that she smelled something burning and the tech noticed the concentrator smoking and unplugged it. The machine never alarmed or turned off. The machine stayed hot to the touch for about 40 minutes. When it got back to the warehouse, I noticed that it had just been serviced by DeVilbiss on 3/21/19.”  No information regarding the patient was included in the complaint report; there was no record of attempt to obtain patient information; and no record of follow-up with complainant to gather information relevant to determination of reportability.
•    Complaint #RO_0252308, recorded on 1/28/2020, alleges a possible malfunction with a DeVilbiss 525DS Oxygen Concentrator, serial number
(b)(4)
, in which the complaint documented the unit had clearly overheated as the case interior was melting and deforming as well as a portion of the back cover, and gross particle filter housing. The outlet air tubing from the compressor was so hot that it began melting the foam insulation of the back cover. The cooling fan below the compressor was not running at all. The complaint further documented it was self-evident that was a failure of the thermal cutoff for this unit as it should have shut down well before it ever got hot enough to begin to melt itself.  No documentation of complainant or record of attempt to contact complainant to gather information relevant to reportability.
We have reviewed your responses dated 9/16/21 and 11/12/21 and concluded that the adequacy of your responses cannot be determined at this time. Your responses state that you are revising complaint handling procedures to create more guidance with complaint detail record keeping. Your response also describes an ongoing effort to review complaints received between March 26, 2018 and July 27, 2021.
Please provide documentation demonstrating that you have established the applicable procedures for receiving, reviewing and evaluating complaints by a formally designated unit, ensuring that all complaints are processed in a uniform and timely manner, oral complaints are documented on receipt; and complaints are evaluated to determine whether the complaint represents a reportable event.
3.    Failure to adequately establish procedures for corrective and preventive action, as required by 21 CFR 820.100(a).  Specifically,
Your CAPA procedure, DVHC-SOP-0029, Rev 03, section 7.2.5, states that a CAPA will be created when “a review of quality data suggests that
(b)(4)
is trending in a direction that could lead to a potential undesirable event.”  No provision in your CAPA procedure requires opening a CAPA for a quality issue that presents a high risk to patients, and not necessarily based only on a
(b)(4)
“trending in a direction that could lead to a potential undesirable event.”
We have reviewed your responses dated 9/16/21 and 11/12/21 and concluded that the adequacy of your responses cannot be determined at this time.  Your initial response maintains that the rate of occurrence should not be calculated based on total complaints but based on total devices in the field.  Your response does not address defining “trending in a direction that could lead to a potential undesirable event,” or what types of quality data are to be considered more significant indicators of possible quality issues than others.  It does not address opening CAPAs commensurate with the significance and risk of the nonconformity.  Your response of 11/12/21 describes your efforts to review complaints and establish a new risk-based alert limit for complaint reporting, and a timely and recurring complaint risk review.
Please provide examples of how you are documenting and analyzing these quality data, and how your procedure assures that your investigations of events are commensurate with the significance and risk of nonconformities and events.
4.    Failure to evaluate and investigate any complaint involving the possible failure of a device, labeling, or packaging to meet any of its specifications, unless such investigation has already been performed for a similar complaint and another investigation is not necessary, as required by 21 CFR 820.198(c).  Specifically,
Your Complaint Handling Procedure, DVHC-SOP-0020, rev. 2, states in section 7.1.4 that any complaint involving the possible failure of a device, labeling, or packaging to meet any of its specifications shall be reviewed, evaluated and investigated unless an investigation has already been performed for a similar complaint and another investigation is not necessary.  The following is an example of a complaint record that included documentation that parts were replaced or serviced, but did not document failure investigations:
•    Complaint #RO_0331417. The firm documented “FAIL” as the only information with the complaint and in the additional notes, documented “Na Nean” referring to a slang term “Na Mean”. The record notes state that the sieve beds were replaced due to low O2, and the compressor was replaced due to low pressure. The investigation does not document why the compressor, which was under warranty, failed.
We have reviewed your responses dated 9/16/21 and 11/12/21 and concluded that the adequacy of your responses cannot be determined at this time. Your responses state that you are revising complaint handling procedures to create more guidance with complaint detail record keeping. Additionally, you are currently reviewing complaints received between March 26, 2018 and July 27, 2021.
Please provide documentation demonstrating that you have established the applicable procedures to evaluate and investigate any complaint involving the possible failure of a device, labeling, or packaging to meet any of its specifications and the outcome of your retrospective review.
5.    Failure to establish procedures for rework of nonconforming products, including retesting and reevaluation of the nonconforming product after rework, to ensure that the product meets its current approved specifications; as well as documentation of the rework and reevaluation activities in the DHR, including a determination of any adverse effect from the rework upon the product, as required by 21 CFR 820.90(b)(2).  Specifically, you do not have a written procedure that governs rework for in-process products.
We have reviewed your responses dated 9/16/21 and 11/12/21 and concluded that they are inadequate.  Your response of 11/12/21 provided your new in-process rework procedure, which does not require that a record of testing after rework must be included in that unit’s device history record (DHR).
Please provide documentation that demonstrates you have established and implemented your procedure governing rework of in-process products, and that all rework activities and testing are recorded in the device history record (DHR).
Our inspection also revealed that these devices are misbranded within the meaning of Section 502(t)(2) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(t)(2), in that your firm failed or refused to furnish material or information regarding the device that is required by or under Section 519 of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360i, and 21 CFR Part 803 – Medical Device Reporting. Violation includes, but is not limited to:
6.    Failure to establish an internal system which provides for timely and effective identification, communication and evaluation of events that may be subject to medical device reporting requirements, as required by 21 CFR 803.17(a)(1).  Specifically, Complaints were not reviewed and recorded as unreportable for over 200 days after receipt of the complaint.  Examples include but are not limited to, complaint numbers RO_0174581, RO_0171904, RO_0188624, and RO_0198227.
We have reviewed your responses dated 9/16/21 and 11/12/21 and concluded that the adequacy of your responses cannot be determined at this time.  Your responses state that you are reviewing and updating your procedures and processes for complaint handling and MDR reporting regarding intake, review, evaluation, and reporting of complaints.
Please provide documentation that demonstrates you have established and implemented a procedure which provides for timely and effective identification, communication and evaluation of events that may be subject to medical device reporting requirements.
7.    Failure to submit an MDR report within 30 days of receiving or otherwise becoming aware of information that reasonably suggests that a marketed device may have malfunctioned or caused or contributed to a death or serious injury, as required by 21 CFR 803.50(a)(1).  Specifically,
On 01/19/2021, you were contacted regarding an injury event in which the patient suffered dyspnea, anxiety, low oxygen saturation and shaking/tremors, alleging a malfunction with a DeVilbiss 525DS Oxygen Concentrator, serial number
(b)(4)
.  An MDR was not submitted to FDA until 04/06/2021. You did not report an adverse event within 30 days.
We have reviewed your responses dated 9/16/21 and 11/12/21 and concluded that the adequacy of your responses cannot be determined at this time.  Your responses state that you are revising the applicable procedures and conducting training to ensure clarification on the specific information that should be collected as part of the complaint intake process, including robust incident details to ensure prompt and compliant escalation to Regulatory Affairs for evaluation in regard to MDR filing.
You also state that, based on your review of complaints thus far, you have identified several events where MDRs should have been reported, and are in the process of identifying additional events for reporting.  These corrective actions are ongoing at this time.
Please provide documentation that demonstrates that you have submitted MDRs for all applicable complaints that reasonably suggest that a marketed device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury, and that reportable events received since the time of the inspection have been reported within the required 30-day timeframe.
Your firm should take prompt action to correct the violations addressed in this letter.  Failure to promptly correct these violations may result in regulatory action being initiated by the FDA without further notice.  These actions include, but are not limited to, seizure, injunction, and civil money penalties.  Also, federal agencies may be advised of the issuance of Warning Letters about devices so that they may take this information into account when considering the award of contracts.
Additionally, should FDA determine that you have Quality System Regulation violations that are reasonably related to premarket approval applications for Class III devices, such devices will not be approved until the violations have been corrected.  Also, should FDA determine that your devices do not meet the requirements of the Act, requests for Certificates to Foreign Governments (CFG) may not be granted. If you believe that your products are not in violation of the Act, please respond to FDA with your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration.
Please notify this office in writing within fifteen business days from the date you receive this letter of the specific steps your firm has taken to correct the noted violations, as well as an explanation of how your firm plans to prevent these violations, or similar violations, from occurring again.  Include documentation of the corrections and/or corrective actions (which must address systemic problems) that your firm has taken.  If your firm’s planned corrections and/or corrective actions will occur over time, please include a timetable for implementation of those activities.  If corrections and/or corrective actions cannot be completed within fifteen business days, state the reason for the delay and the time within which these activities will be completed.  Your firm’s response should be comprehensive and address all violations included in this Warning Letter.
If you have questions regarding any issues in this letter, please contact Compliance Officer Richard Cherry at (215) 717-3075 or at richard.cherry@fda.hhs.gov.  Please send your reply electronically to Gina Brackett, Director of Compliance Branch, at gina.brackett@fda.hhs.gov.
Finally, you should know that this letter is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the violations at your firm’s facility.  It is your firm’s responsibility to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations administered by FDA.  The specific violations noted in this letter and in the Inspectional Observations, FDA 483, issued at the close of the inspection may be symptomatic of serious problems in your firm’s manufacturing and quality management systems.  Your firm should investigate and determine the causes of the violations and take prompt actions to correct the violations and bring the products into compliance.
Sincerely,
/s/
Joseph Matrisciano, Jr.
Program Division Director
Office of Medical Device and Radiological Health
Division 1
cc:     Joseph Lewarski, Senior Vice President, Clinical Affairs
Tony Sapp, Director, Regulatory Affairs and Audits
Content current as of:
12/14/2021
Regulated Product(s)
Medical Devices