Verify¿ Bowie-Dick Test Card — Class II medical device recall Z-2417-2012
Terminated recall by Steris Corporation, reported 2012-09-26, distributed nationwide. STERIS has learned that the Verify Bowie Dick Test Cards are not performing to product specifications. Specifi
| Recall number | Z-2417-2012 |
|---|---|
| Product type | Medical device |
| Classification | Class II |
| Status | Terminated |
| Voluntary or mandated | Voluntary |
| Recalling firm | Steris Corporation, Mentor, OH, United States |
| Recall initiated | 2012-07-03 |
| Classified | 2012-09-20 |
| Reported by FDA | 2012-09-26 |
| Terminated | 2013-03-27 |
| Distributed | Nationwide (US) |
| Countries outside the US | CA |
| Quantity | 629 cards |
| Serial numbers | H20013, H20014, H20016 |
| Model numbers | S3098 |
Product
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.
Reason for recall
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.
Machine access
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Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration enforcement report via openFDA (CC0). Structured by Data Foundry (recall-structuring@2); last changed 2026-09-26. Not affiliated with or endorsed by FDA. Not medical or legal advice.