Health Canada Issues Recall for Impella Controller Due to Software Error

Source: Health Canada · Canada

Areazine synthesizes this Health Canada recall directly from Health Canada's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.

Health Canada has announced a voluntary recall for the Impella Controller due to a potential software error that could lead to serious injury or death in certain patients.

What this Health Canada recall tells you, and what most readers miss

This notice was issued by Health Canada on May 13, 2026 and geographically references Canada. Its severity classification of "high" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken - "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to - Product & Food Recalls - determines the consumer-protection framework behind it, which shapes what remedies (refunds, replacements, repairs, or the recall itself) are available to affected consumers and which agency holds statutory responsibility for enforcement.

Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to verify its scope, source, and timestamp, then compare related notices without assuming that one record proves a broader trend.

Areazine pairs this record with the original agency URL so you can check the primary source before acting. Its related labels are recall, product-safety, health-canada, MedicalDevice.

What Happened

Abiomed, Inc. has issued a voluntary device recall to notify customers of a potential software error in the Automated Impella Controller, which may cause it to restart when used with left ventricular Impella devices. This error, in specific clinical circumstances, could contribute to serious injury or death in certain patient populations, though the product is not being removed and hospital inventory can continue to be used.

Which Products Are Affected

The affected products are the Impella Controller with Software versions V6.0.1–6.0.3 and ≥7.1, specifically under the following model or catalogue numbers: 0042-0040-CA and 0042-0000-CA. No specific quantities, lot numbers, UPCs, or date ranges were provided in the recall notice.

What You Should Do

The recall notice advises that customers have been notified, and the product can continue to be used. For further information, contact Abiomed Inc. at their address: 22 Cherry Hill Drive, Danvers, Massachusetts, United States, 01923.

Why This Matters

This recall underscores the importance of software reliability in medical devices, as potential errors could pose significant risks to patient safety in critical care situations.

Source

This information is from Health Canada. For more details, visit: [https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/impella-controller-0]

Original source: Health Canada Official Notice ↗

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Nationwide notices with similar length or severity timing 8

Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this Health Canada recall: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this Health Canada recall.

What is this Health Canada recall about?
Health Canada has announced a voluntary recall for the Impella Controller due to a potential software error that could lead to serious injury or death in certain patients.
Which agency issued this alert?
This alert was issued by Health Canada. The original notice is available at the source link at the bottom of this article.
How severe is this alert?
This alert is classified as "high" severity. Take precautions and monitor for updates.
What area is affected?
This alert affects Canada. Check with Health Canada for the most current geographic scope.
Where can I find more Product & Food Recalls updates?
Browse the full Product & Food Recalls feed on Areazine at areazine.com/ca/recalls/ for the latest updates from Health Canada and other agencies.