Published: 23 February 2015
Safety Information
Medical Device Recall Actions
23 February 2015
Invacare Power Wheelchair Joysticks
Invacare SPJ+ Joysticks and Invacare MK6i Driver Controls
Invacare is recalling selected Power Wheelchair models manufactured between
specific dates to replace the joystick or driver controls.
Affected Powered Wheelchairs
| Controller | Manufacturing dates |
|---|---|
| SPJ+ Joysticks | Manufactured between 9 September 2009 and 21 March 2013 |
| MK6i controls (excluding all ASL, Sip-n-Puff and Switch control systems) | Manufactured between 1 October 2006 and 21 March 2013 |
Serial numbers of affected wheelchairs fall within the range 06Jxxxxxxx
to 13Cxxxxxxx. The first two digits represent the year, the first letter
represents the month (A=January, B=February, etc.).
A total of 1775 affected units have been supplied in New Zealand.
Issue
The manufacturer has identified a potential wiring defect in the joystick of a small number of wheelchairs which may result in the following actions:
- The power wheelchair may slow down relative to the selected (command) speed and not recover, driving at a reduced speed
- The power wheelchair may slow down relative to the selected (command) speed and then recover, creating an unintended acceleration
Should this occur, users are advised to immediately release the joystick to cause the power wheelchair to slow to a stop, as per the instruction manual.
Key Information for Users
Users whose contact details were known by the wheelchair funders, or Invacare resellers, were contacted previously. A significant number of users of affected power wheelchairs were not able to be identified or contacted about this action. Invacare has now issued a public recall notice to find and correct remaining affected power wheelchairs.
If you believe your Invacare Power Wheelchair is impacted by this recall action, and you have not already been contacted about this issue, please call Invacare New Zealand on 0800 468 222 or sales@invacare.co.nz to determine if your wheelchair is one of the affected units.
Additional information about this matter is published on the Invacare New Zealand website.
http://www.invacare.co.nz/index.cfm/1,301,0,33,html/Product-Recall
