Severity
Moderate
FDA Devices recall · Reported September 26, 2012
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 sterilize…
Steris Corporation recalled Verify¿ Bowie-Dick Test Card, Model #S3098, Steris Biological Operations, 9325 Pinecone D… - a moderate-severity action.
Verify¿ Bowie-Dick Test Card, Model #S3098, Steris Biological Operations, 9325 Pinecone D… was recalled by Steris Corporation in September 26, 2012. Reason: STERIS has learned that the Verify Bowie Dick Test Cards are not performing to product specifications. Speci…. Check the official notice for the remedy. Verify recall #Z-2417-2012 with the FDA Devices before acting.
The recall
Steris Corporation issued this moderate-severity FDA Devices recall-STERIS has learned that the Verify Bowie Dick Test Cards are not performing to product specifications. Speci….
Sourced from official FDA Devices enforcement records. Verify recall #Z-2417-2012 with the agency before acting. Full product description, hazard, remedy, and related recalls are below.
This FDA Devices action (record #Z-2417-2012) was formally reported on September 26, 2012, with the manufacturer initiating the action on July 3, 2012. It is classified under Moderate severity (Class II), with a current status of Terminated. Steris Corporation is listed as the recalling firm, operating out of Mentor, OH. Federal records list the affected scope as 629 cards.
The documented reason for this recall is: 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 range… Distribution data in the federal record shows the product reached: Worldwide Distribution--USA (nationwide) including the states of AL, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, IN, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK,OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV and WY. and the…. Distribution scope directly affects the consumer exposure window and determines whether a recall remains regional or escalates into a nationwide advisory.
Within the same product category the archive holds 6 closely related recalls, 3 from FDA Devices - clustering in a narrow category often points to a systemic quality-control or supplier issue rather than a one-off defect. Always verify the recall number against the official agency record before acting.
Where this recall sits in its category - 40,322 medical devices recalls on record
Of 101,704 recalls in the database, 24,878 are high severity, 72,426 moderate, and 4,400 low. This recall is classified moderate severity.
Counts reflect market size and reporting activity, not inherent danger, we do not rank products by risk from raw recall volume.
Severity
Moderate
Affected scope
629 cards
Related Recalls
6
3 from same agency
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.
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.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Agency | U.S. Food and Drug Administration |
| Severity class | Moderate (Class II) |
| Status | Terminated |
| Recall number | Z-2417-2012 |
| Date reported | September 26, 2012 |
| Date initiated | July 3, 2012 |
| Recalling firm | Steris Corporation |
| Firm location | Mentor, OH |
| Affected scope | 629 cards |
| Distribution | Worldwide Distribution--USA (nationwide) including the states of AL, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, IN, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK,OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV and WY. and the country of Canada. |
Profile values are sourced directly from the official FDA Devices enforcement record. Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
What to do with this recall
Match your product against the recall record, then act on the agency remedy.
This page summarizes the official FDA Devices record for research and awareness; it is not legal, medical, or safety advice. Verify with the issuing agency before acting.
Other recalls in the same product category, useful for spotting patterns across the same defect class or manufacturer.
· 2026-07-02
· 2026-06-25
· 2026-06-18
GE Medical Systems Information Technologies Inc · 2026-06-03
Medline Industries, LP · 2026-06-03
Compare this recall with Rowenta Recalls Cordless Vacuum Cleaners Due to Risk of Ser… →
Every figure on PlainRecalls is rendered directly from official FDA, CPSC and NHTSA recall records, no number is typed in by an editor. This recall: FDA Devices, reported September 26, 2012. Severity classes follow each agency's own taxonomy (FDA Class I/II/III; CPSC and NHTSA by hazard type), and related-recall context is computed across the full archive. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.