
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4303-4305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-01471]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2015-D-4852]


Design Considerations and Premarket Submission Recommendations 
for Interoperable Medical Devices; Draft Guidance for Industry and Food 
and Drug Administration Staff; Availability

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing 
the availability of the draft guidance entitled ``Design Considerations 
and Pre-market Submission Recommendations for Interoperable Medical 
Devices''. FDA is issuing this draft guidance to assist industry and 
FDA staff in identifying specific considerations related to the ability 
of electronic medical devices to safely and effectively exchange and 
use exchanged information. This document highlights considerations that 
should be included in the development and design of interoperable 
medical devices and provides recommendations for the content of 
premarket submissions and labeling for such 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 This draft 
guidance is not final nor is it in effect at this time.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draft guidance before it begins work on the final version of the 
guidance, submit either electronic or written comments on the draft 
guidance by March 28, 2016.

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''.

[[Page 4304]]

    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. 
FDA-2015-D-4852 for ``Design Considerations and Pre-market Submission 
Recommendations for Interoperable 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 
``Design Considerations and Pre-market Submission Recommendations for 
Interoperable 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; or the Office of 
Communication, Outreach, and Development, Center for Biologics 
Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 3128, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. Send 
one self-addressed adhesive label to assist that office in processing 
your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Agler, Center for Devices and 
Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire 
Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 5570, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-796-6340; 
and Stephen Ripley, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food 
and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 7301, 
Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 240-402-7911.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The need and desire to connect medical devices to other products, 
technologies, and systems is growing in the health care community. As 
electronic medical devices are increasingly connected to each other and 
to other technology, the ability of these connected systems to safely 
and effectively exchange and use the information that has been 
exchanged becomes increasingly important. Advancing the ability of 
medical devices to exchange and use information safely and effectively 
with other medical devices, as well as other technology, offers the 
potential to increase efficiency in patient care.
    FDA intends to promote the development and availability of safe and 
effective interoperable medical devices. FDA is issuing this draft 
guidance to assist industry and FDA staff in identifying specific 
considerations related to the ability of electronic medical devices to 
safely and effectively exchange and use exchanged information. This 
document highlights considerations that should be included in the 
development and design of interoperable medical devices and provides 
recommendations for the content of premarket submissions and labeling 
for such devices.

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 ``Design 
Considerations and Pre-market Submission Recommendations for 
Interoperable 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 
statutes 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.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/default.htm or http://www.regulations.gov. Persons unable to download 
an electronic copy of ``Design Considerations and Pre-market Submission 
Recommendations for Interoperable 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 1500015 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 820 have been approved under 
OMB control number 0910-0073; 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 807, subpart E, have been 
approved under OMB control number 0910-0120; the collections of 
information in 21 CFR part 814, subparts A through E, have been 
approved under OMB control number 0910-0231; 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 21 CFR

[[Page 4305]]

part 601 have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0338; and the 
collections of information in 21 CFR parts 801 and 809 have been 
approved under OMB control number 0910-0485.

    Dated: January 21, 2016.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016-01471 Filed 1-25-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P


