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ENZYME BLOGAnalyzing the latest developments in regulatory, compliance, and quality

Key Takeaways from New FDA Guidance on Off-the-Shelf Software

As the number of medical devices that include software continues to grow, so too does the use of off-the-shelf (OTS) software in regulated medical devices. Defined as “a generally available software component used by a device manufacturer for which the manufacturer cannot claim complete software life cycle control (e.g., operating system, printer/display libraries),” OTS software has its own regulatory/quality considerations and deliverables when incorporated into a medical device.

Could Your Company Benefit from FDA’s Q-Submission Program?

FDA’s approach to regulating medical devices can sometimes be confusing and overwhelming. Thankfully, there is a voluntary program, The Q-Submission Program, that device manufacturers (also called sponsors) can use to obtain FDA feedback during device development, submission review, or even prior to clinical study commencement.

Guidance for Additive Manufacturing Post-Pandemic

Additive manufacturing (AM) held a prominent place in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was explicitly acknowledged by the FDA. The agency collaborated with other federal government agencies to encourage rapid innovation in manufacturing for the pandemic, but with the pandemic having come to a close, it may be time to examine the FDA’s standing guidance for AM.

The Hazards of FDA’s When-to-File Policies for 510(k)s

Predetermined change control plans (PCCPs) may be the way of the future for 510(k) medical device software, but the vast majority of both hardware and software device products still do not incorporate a PCCP. As a consequence, the FDA’s existing policies for when to file a new 510(k) are still in effect, and this blog will provide a closer look at the related guidances.

FDA Demands Greater Level of Software Documentation in New Guidance

Software as a medical device (SaMD) has evolved rapidly in the past 20 years, and the FDA has responded with a new final guidance for the content of premarket submissions for device software functions. This guidance calls for a substantially greater amount of documentation than was required by the 2005 version — an especially important point for companies that file infrequently with the FDA.

What Caption Health’s FDA Approval Reveals About Successful PCCPs

The FDA’s draft guidance for predetermined change control plans (PCCPs) is months away from conversion into a final guidance, but that hasn’t stopped software developers from creating products with a PCCP component for the U.S. market. The FDA approved the de novo application by Caption Health on Feb. 24, 2023, for a machine learning (ML) product that processes ultrasound images to calculate left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

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