
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 211 (Monday, November 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67411-67412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-27818]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2015-D-3787]


Information To Support a Claim of Electromagnetic Compatibility 
of Electrically Powered Medical Devices; Draft Guidance for Industry 
and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing 
the availability of the draft guidance entitled ``Information to 
Support a Claim of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) of Electrically-
Powered Medical Devices.'' This guidance describes the types of 
information that should be provided to support a claim of 
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in a premarket submission for an 
electrically powered medical device. Electromagnetic disturbance is 
electronic product radiation that may interfere with the performance of 
an electrically powered medical device in its intended environment 
(i.e., cause an electromagnetic interference (EMI)). EMC assessment 
helps to ensure that a device is able to function in its intended 
environment without introducing excessive electromagnetic disturbances 
that might interfere with other devices. This draft guidance is not 
final nor is it in effect at this time.

DATES: Although you can comment on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 
10.115(g)(5)), to ensure that the Agency considers your comment of this 
draft guidance before it begins work on the final version of the 
guidance, submit either electronic or written comments on the draft 
guidance by December 17, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments as follows:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to http://www.regulations.gov 
will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your comment will be 
made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment 
does not include any confidential information that you or a third party 
may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone 
else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, 
such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your 
name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in 
the body of your comments, that information will be posted on http://www.regulations.gov.
     If you want to submit a comment with confidential 
information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, 
submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner 
detailed (see ``Written/Paper Submissions'' and ``Instructions'').

Written/Paper Submissions

    Submit written/paper submissions as follows:
     Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for written/paper 
submissions): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Division of 
Dockets Management, FDA will post your comment, as well as any 
attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, 
as confidential, if submitted as detailed in ``Instructions.''
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. 
FDA-2015-D-3787 for ``Information to Support a Claim of Electromagnetic 
Compatibility (EMC) of Electrically-Powered Medical Devices.'' Received 
comments will be placed in the docket and, except for those submitted 
as ``Confidential Submissions,'' publicly viewable at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Division of Dockets Management between 9 
a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
     Confidential Submissions--To submit a comment with 
confidential information that you do not wish to be made publicly 
available, submit your comments only as a written/paper submission. You 
should submit two copies total. One copy will include the information 
you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover note that states 
``THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION''. The Agency will 
review this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in 
its consideration of comments. The second copy, which will have the 
claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, will be 
available for public viewing and posted on http://www.regulations.gov. 
Submit both copies to the Division of Dockets Management. If you do not 
wish your name and contact information to be made publicly available, 
you can provide this information on the cover sheet and not in the body 
of your comments and you must identify this information as 
``confidential.'' Any information marked as ``confidential'' will not 
be disclosed except in accordance with 21 CFR 10.20 and other 
applicable disclosure law. For more information about FDA's posting of 
comments to public dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 18, 2015, or 
access the information at: http://www.fda.gov/regulatoryinformation/dockets/default.htm.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, found in brackets in 
the heading of this document, into the ``Search'' box and follow the 
prompts and/or go to the Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers 
Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
    An electronic copy of the guidance document is available for 
download from the Internet. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
for information on electronic access to the guidance. Submit written 
requests for a single hard copy of the draft guidance document entitled 
``Information to Support a Claim of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) 
of Electrically-Powered Medical Devices'' to the Office of the Center 
Director, Guidance and Policy Development, Center for Devices and 
Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire 
Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 5431, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. Send one self-
addressed adhesive label to assist that office in processing your 
request.

[[Page 67412]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald Witters, Center for Devices and 
Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire 
Ave. Bldg. 62, Rm. 1130, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-796-2483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    FDA is announcing the availability of a draft guidance to provide 
FDA's current thinking on the types of information that should be 
provided in a premarket submission to support a claim of 
electromagnetic compatibility for an electrically powered medical 
device. EMI is a hazard with associated risk for electrically powered 
medical devices. EMC assessment can help to ensure that the risks 
associated with performance degradation of electrically powered medical 
devices due to EMI are adequately mitigated.
    The draft guidance includes information consistent with 
specifications described in FDA-recognized consensus national or 
international standards for EMC such as in the International 
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60601-1-2: Edition 3: 2007-03, 
Medical Electrical Equipment--Part 1-2: General Requirements for Basic 
Safety and Essential Performance--Collateral Standard: Electromagnetic 
Compatibility--Requirements and Tests; IEC 60601-1-2: Edition 4.0: 
2014-01, Medical Electrical Equipment, Part 1-2: General Requirements 
for Basic Safety and Essential Performance--Collateral Standard: 
Electromagnetic Disturbances--Requirements and Tests; Association for 
the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)/American National 
Standards Institute (ANSI)/IEC 60601-1-2: 2007/(R) 2012 Medical 
Electrical Equipment--Part 1-2: General Requirements for Basic Safety 
and Essential Performance--Collateral Standard: Electromagnetic 
Compatibility--Requirements and Tests; and AAMI/ANSI/IEC 60601-1-2: 
2014, Medical Electrical Equipment--Part 1-2: General Requirements for 
Basic Safety and Essential Performance--Collateral Standard: 
Electromagnetic Disturbances--Requirements and Tests Standards that 
sponsors and manufacturers of electrically powered medical devices 
often reference. This draft guidance is intended to help ensure that 
clear and consistent information is provided in premarket submissions 
regarding medical device EMC and to facilitate the review of 
submissions with EMC claims.

II. Significance of Guidance

    This draft guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good 
guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The draft guidance, when 
finalized, will represent the current thinking of FDA on information 
that should be provided to support claims of electromagnetic 
compatibility of electrically powered medical devices. It does not 
establish any rights for any person and is not binding on FDA or the 
public. You can use an alternative approach if it satisfies the 
requirements of the applicable statute and regulations.

III. Electronic Access

    Persons interested in obtaining a copy of the draft guidance may do 
so by downloading an electronic copy from the Internet. A search 
capability for all Center for Devices and Radiological Health guidance 
documents is available at http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/GuidanceDocuments/default.htm. Guidance 
documents are also available at http://www.regulations.gov. Persons 
unable to download an electronic copy of ``Information to Support a 
Claim of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) of Electrically-Powered 
Medical Devices'' may send an email request to CDRH-Guidance@fda.hhs.gov to receive an electronic copy of the document. 
Please use the document number 1400057 to identify the guidance you are 
requesting.

IV. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This draft guidance refers to previously approved collections of 
information found in FDA regulations. These collections of information 
are subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The 
collections of information in 21 CFR part 814 have been approved under 
OMB control number 0910-0231. The collections of information in 21 CFR 
part 807, subpart E have been approved under OMB control number 0910-
0120. The collections of information in 21 CFR part 812 have been 
approved under OMB control number 0910-0078. The collections of 
information in 21 CFR part 814, subpart H have been approved under OMB 
control number 0910-0332. The collections of information in sections 
520(m) and 515A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
360j and 21 U.S.C. 360e-1, respectively) and 613(b) of Food and Drug 
Administration Safety and Innovation Act have been approved under OMB 
control number 0910-0661.

    Dated: October 27, 2015.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2015-27818 Filed 10-30-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P


