AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a publication containing modifications the Agency is making to the list of standards FDA recognizes for use in premarket reviews (FDA recognized consensus standards). This publication, entitled “Modifications to the List of Recognized Standards, Recognition List Number: 026” (Recognition List Number: 026), will assist manufacturers who elect to declare conformity with consensus standards to meet certain requirements for medical devices.

DATES:

Submit written or electronic comments concerning this document at any time. See section VII of this document for the effective date of the recognition of standards announced in this document.

ADDRESSES:

Submit written requests for single copies of “Modifications to the List of Recognized Standards, Recognition List Number: 026” to the Division of Small Manufacturers, International and Consumer Assistance, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Silver Spring, MD 20993. Send two self-addressed adhesive labels to assist that office in processing your requests, or fax your request to 301-847-8149. Submit written comments concerning this document, or recommendations for additional standards for recognition, to the contact person ( seeFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT ). Submit electronic comments by e-mail: standards@cdrh.fda.gov. This document may also be accessed on FDA's Internet site at http://www.fda.gov/​MedicalDevices/​DeviceRegulationandGuidance/​Standards/​ucm123792.htm. See section VI of this document for electronic access to the searchable database for the current list of FDA recognized consensus standards, including Recognition List Number: 026 modifications and other standards related information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Carol L. Herman, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 3632, Silver Spring, MD 20993, 301-796-6574.

I. Background

Section 204 of the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (FDAMA) (Pub. L. 105-115) amended section 514 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) (21 U.S.C. 360d). Amended section 514 allows FDA to recognize consensus standards developed by international and national organizations for use in satisfying portions of device premarket review submissions or other requirements.

In a notice published in the Federal Register of February 25, 1998 (63 FR 9561), FDA announced the availability of a guidance entitled “Recognition and Use of Consensus Standards.” The notice described how FDA would implement its standard recognition program and provided the initial list of recognized standards.

Modifications to the initial list of recognized standards, as published in the Federal Register , are identified in Table 1 as follows:

( printed page 13632)

These notices describe the addition, withdrawal, and revision of certain standards recognized by FDA. The Agency maintains “hypertext markup language (HTML)” and “portable document format (PDF)” versions of the list of “FDA Recognized Consensus Standards.” Both versions are publicly accessible at the Agency's Internet site. See section VI of this document for electronic access information. Interested persons should review the supplementary information sheet for the standard to understand fully the extent to which FDA recognizes the standard.

II. Modifications to the List of Recognized Standards, Recognition List Number: 026

FDA is announcing the addition, withdrawal, correction, and revision of certain consensus standards the Agency will recognize for use in satisfying premarket reviews and other requirements for devices. FDA will incorporate these modifications in the list of FDA Recognized Consensus Standards in the Agency's searchable database. FDA will use the term “Recognition List Number: 026” to identify these current modifications.

In table 2 of this document, FDA describes the following modifications: (1) The withdrawal of standards and their replacement by others, (2) the correction of errors made by FDA in listing previously recognized standards, and (3) the changes to the supplementary information sheets of recognized standards that describe revisions to the applicability of the standards.

In section III of this document, FDA lists modifications the Agency is making that involve the initial addition of standards not previously recognized by FDA.

III. Listing of New Entries

In table 3 of this document, FDA provides the listing of new entries and consensus standards added as modifications to the list of recognized standards under Recognition List Number: 026. ( printed page 13636)

IV. List of Recognized Standards

FDA maintains the Agency's current list of FDA recognized consensus standards in a searchable database that may be accessed directly at FDA's Internet site at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/​scripts/​cdrh/​cfdocs/​cfStandards/​search.cfm. FDA will incorporate the modifications and minor revisions described in this notice into the database and, upon publication in the Federal Register , this recognition of consensus standards will be effective. FDA will announce additional modifications and minor revisions to the list of recognized consensus standards, as needed, in the Federal Register once a year, or more often, if necessary.

V. Recommendation of Standards for Recognition by FDA

Any person may recommend consensus standards as candidates for recognition under the new provision of section 514 of the FD&C Act by submitting such recommendations, with reasons for the recommendation, to the contact person ( SeeFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT ). To be properly considered such recommendations should contain, at a minimum, the following information: (1) Title of the standard; (2) any reference number and date; (3) name and address of the national or international standards development organization; (4) a proposed list of devices for which a declaration of conformity to this standard should routinely apply; and (5) a brief identification of the testing or performance or other characteristics of the device(s) that would be addressed by a declaration of conformity.

VI. Electronic Access

You may obtain a copy of “Guidance on the Recognition and Use of Consensus Standards” by using the Internet. CDRH maintains a site on the ( printed page 13638) Internet for easy access to information including text, graphics, and files that you may download to a personal computer with access to the Internet. Updated on a regular basis, the CDRH home page includes the guidance as well as the current list of recognized standards and other standards related documents. After publication in the Federal Register , this notice announcing “Modification to the List of Recognized Standards, Recognition List Number: 026” will be available on the CDRH home page. You may access the CDRH home page at http://www.fda.gov/​MedicalDevices.

You may access “Guidance on the Recognition and Use of Consensus Standards,” and the searchable database for “FDA Recognized Consensus Standards” at http://www.fda.gov/​MedicalDevices/​DeviceRegulationandGuidance/​Standards.

This Federal Register document on modifications in FDA's recognition of consensus standards is available at http://www.fda.gov/​MedicalDevices/​DeviceRegulationandGuidance/​Standards/​ucm123792.htm.

VII. Submission of Comments and Effective Date

Interested persons may submit to the contact person ( seeFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT ) either electronic or written comments regarding this document. It is only necessary to send one set of comments. It is no longer necessary to send two copies of mailed comments. Comments are to be identified with the docket number found in brackets in the heading of this document. FDA will consider any comments received in determining whether to amend the current listing of modifications to the list of recognized standards, Recognition List Number: 026. These modifications to the list or recognized standards are effective upon publication of this notice in the Federal Register.