Our design process is driven by joint Aproio-client reviews at every phase.
Our principal partners have practiced this collaborative approach to Design Control since the mid-80’s, almost a decade before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its design control guidance documents.
Some of the design-control standards that we adhere to in our development process are as follows:
Quality Management Systems, FDA, EU
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ISO 13485 – Quality
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ISO 14971 – Risk Management
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EN 62304 – Software life-cycle
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EN 62366 – Usability
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REACH
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WEE
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RoHS
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CA Prop 65
Medical Safety Design
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Medical Safety (60601-1,
60601-1-2, 60601-1-8 etc) -
ISO 10993 – Biological
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ISO 11137, 35 – Sterilization
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EN60529 – Ingress protection
Packaging & Labeling
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ASTM D4169 – Shipping Containers
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ASTM D4728 – Random Vibration
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ASTM D5276 – Drop Test
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Various other ASTM standards
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Sterilization
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ISO 15223 – Symbols
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ISO 780 – Packaging graphics
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FDA Guidance
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Since 1990, the FDA has required that manufacturers who want to market certain categories of medical devices in the USA follow Design Control requirements (21 CFR 820.30). At a high level, this regulation requires:
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Establishment of an intended use and design inputs
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A design plan
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Periodic design reviews throughout the design process
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Confirmation that the design outputs conform to the design inputs through:
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Design verification ("did we design the device right?")
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Design validation ("did we design the right device?")
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Translation of the design into manufacturable specifications
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Clear documentation of the entire process in a design history file or DHF.
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The Medical Devices Directive (MDD 93/42/EEC) similarly lists several requirements regarding the design of a medical device. ISO 13485 is a voluntary standard that contains section 7.3 Design and Development recommending which procedures should be put in place by manufacturers in order to have a quality system that will comply with MDD 93/42/EEC.
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The objective of Design Controls, in this context, is to require that manufacturers follow a methodologically-sound process to develop a medical device, with the intent of improving the probability that the device will reach an acceptable level of efficacy and safety.