Premarket Notification 510(k) to FDA

FDA regulates medical products in U.S.

Each person who wants to market in the U.S., a Class I, II, and III device intended for human use, for which a Premarket Approval application (PMA) is not required, must submit a 510(k) to FDA unless the device is exempt from 510(k) requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) and does not exceed the limitations of exemptions in .9 of the device classification regulation chapters (e.g., 21 CFR 862.9, 21 CFR 864.9). There is no 510(k) form; however, 21 CFR 807 Subpart E describes requirements for a 510(k) submission. Before marketing a device, each submitter must receive an order, in the form of a letter, from FDA which finds the device to be substantially equivalent (SE) and states that the device can be marketed in the U.S. This order “clears” the device for commercial distribution (see The 510(k) Program Guidance).

A 510(k) is a premarket submission made to FDA to demonstrate that the device to be marketed is as safe and effective, that is, substantially equivalent, to a legally marketed device. By submitting this notification, you declare that you have compared your device to one or more similar legally marketed devices and make and support your substantial equivalence claims. 

A 510(k) requires demonstration of substantial equivalence to another legally U.S. marketed device. Substantial equivalence means that the new device is as safe and effective as the predicate.

What is Substantial Equivalence?

A device is substantially equivalent if, in comparison to a predicate it:

• has the same intended use as the predicate; and
• has the same technological characteristics as the predicate;
  or
• has the same intended use as the predicate; and
• has different technological characteristics and does not raise different questions of safety and effectiveness; and
• the information submitted to FDA demonstrates that the device is as safe and effective as the legally marketed device.

A claim of substantial equivalence does not mean the new and predicate devices needs to be identical. FDA first establishes that the new and predicate devices have the same intended use and any differences in technological characteristics do not raise different questions of safety and effectiveness. FDA then determines whether the device is as safe and effective as the predicate device by reviewing the scientific methods used to evaluate differences in technological characteristics and performance data. This performance data can include clinical data and non-clinical bench performance data, including engineering performance testing, sterility, electromagnetic compatibility, software validation, biocompatibility evaluation, among other data.

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