Medical Device Premarket Notification (510k)

A 510(k) is a premarket submission made to FDA to demonstrate that the device to be marketed is at least as safe and effective, that is, substantially equivalent, to a legally marketed device (21 CFR 807.92(a)(3)) that is not subject to PMA.

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 (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 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.

Please note that FDA does not perform 510(k) pre-clearance facility inspections. The submitter may market the device immediately after 510(k) clearance is granted. The manufacturer should be prepared for an FDA quality system (21 CFR 820) inspection at any time after 510(k) clearance.

Who is Required to Submit a 510(k)

The following four categories of parties must submit a 510(k) to the FDA:

1. Domestic manufacturers introducing a device to the U.S. market; Finished device manufacturers must submit a 510(k) if they manufacture a device according to their own specifications and market it in the U.S. Accessories to finished devices that are sold to the end user are also considered finished devices. However, manufacturers of device components are not required to submit a 510(k) unless such components are promoted for sale to an end user as replacement parts. Contract manufacturers, those firms that manufacture devices under contract according to someone else’s specifications, are not required to submit a 510(k).
2. Specification developers introducing a device to the U.S. market; A specification developer develops the specifications for a finished device, but has the device manufactured under contract by another firm or entity. The specification developer submits the 510(k), not the contract manufacturer.
3. Repackers or relabelers who make labeling changes or whose operations significantly affect the device. Repackagers or relabelers may be required to submit a 510(k) if they significantly change the labeling or otherwise affect any condition of the device. Significant labeling changes may include modification of manuals, such as adding a new intended use, deleting or adding warnings, contraindications, etc. Operations, such as sterilization, could alter the condition of the device. However, most repackagers or relabelers are not required to submit a 510(k).
4. Foreign manufacturers/exporters or U.S. representatives of foreign manufacturers/exporters introducing a device to the U.S. market.