Recall of Merit Medical's 16F Dual Valved Splittable Sheath Introducer

Source: FDA · United States

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

Merit Medical Systems, Inc. is recalling 368,264 units of its 16F Dual Valved Splittable Sheath Introducer due to a design defect that may cause it not to split as intended, potentially leading to serious health risks.

What this FDA recall tells you, and what most readers miss

This notice was issued by FDA on April 8, 2026 and geographically references United States. 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 - FDA 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 read it as a data point about the issuing system: how quickly FDA detected the hazard, how precise the geographic or product-identifier scope is, and whether similar notices have clustered in the same category or region in the last 90 days. Cluster patterns frequently precede a broader regulatory action, a single localized FDA recall is isolated; three of them within a quarter often indicate a supply-chain, infrastructure, or seasonal driver that will keep producing notices until something structural changes.

For decision-making, Areazine pairs each alert with the original agency URL, the full agency name, and a timestamp so you can verify the notice against the primary source before acting on it. Tags on this item (recall, product-safety, fda, Devices) map to related alerts in the same area of risk - browsing them together gives a clearer picture than any single notice alone, because the shape of an ongoing issue only becomes visible across multiple sequential alerts.

What Happened

Merit Medical Systems, Inc. is recalling the 16F Dual Valved Splittable Sheath Introducer due to a design defect that may prevent it from splitting as intended, which could result in hemorrhage, foreign bodies, and procedure delays.

Which Products Are Affected

The affected product is the 16F Dual Valved Splittable Sheath Introducer (bulk, non-sterile), with REF: FCL-174-00/B. A total of 368,264 units are involved, distributed nationwide in the United States to states including TX, LA, OR, NM, MI, FL, CO, CA, GA, NC, AK, NY, PA, WI, NJ, VA, AZ, IN, KY, MO, DE, SC, MT, NE, WV, OH, MA, MN, CT, MD, KS, WA, TN, ID, UT, DC, MS, IL, OK, AL, RI, AR, NV, and internationally to various countries. The specific lots affected are listed under UDI-DI/Lot codes such as I2362705, I2370091, and others up to I3257331, as per the recall number Z-1577-2026.

What You Should Do

Consumers and users should contact Merit Medical Systems, Inc. for instructions regarding this voluntary recall, as it is a firm-initiated action.

Why This Matters

This Class I recall highlights a significant safety issue with medical devices that could lead to serious health consequences, affecting a large number of units distributed across the U.S. and internationally.

Source

This information is from the FDA recall database, attributed to recall number Z-1577-2026.

Original source: FDA Official Notice ↗

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this FDA recall.

What is this FDA recall about?
Merit Medical Systems, Inc. is recalling 368,264 units of its 16F Dual Valved Splittable Sheath Introducer due to a design defect that may cause it not to split as intended, potentially leading to serious health risks.
Which agency issued this alert?
This alert was issued by FDA. 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 United States. Check with FDA for the most current geographic scope.
Where can I find more FDA Recalls updates?
Browse the full FDA Recalls feed on Areazine at areazine.com/recalls/fda/ for the latest updates from FDA and other agencies.