[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 157 (Monday, August 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54102-54104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19402]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2014-D-0218]


Premarket Notification Submissions for Bipolar Electrosurgical 
Vessel Sealers for General Surgery; 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 guidance entitled ``Premarket Notification 
(510(k)) Submissions for Bipolar Electrosurgical Vessel Sealers for 
General Surgery.'' FDA has developed this guidance document to assist 
industry in preparing premarket notification (510(k)) submissions for 
bipolar electrosurgical vessel sealers intended for use in general 
surgery.

DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments on this guidance at 
any time. General comments on Agency guidance documents are welcome at 
any time.

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'').

[[Page 54103]]

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-2014-D-0218 for ``Premarket Notification (510(k)) Submissions for 
Bipolar Electrosurgical Vessel Sealers for General Surgery.'' 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 guidance document entitled 
``Premarket Notification (510(k)) Submissions for Bipolar 
Electrosurgical Vessel Sealers for General Surgery'' 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jismi Johnson, Center for Devices and 
Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire 
Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 1524, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-796-6424.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    FDA has developed this guidance document to assist industry in 
preparing premarket notification (510(k)) submissions for bipolar 
electrosurgical vessel sealers intended for use in general surgery. 
These devices are designed to seal isolated blood and lymphatic vessels 
for hemostasis (as an alternative to ties) through the use of high-
frequency electrical current between two electrodes in close proximity. 
The scope of this document is limited to the class II electrosurgical 
devices and accessories classified under 21 CFR 878.4400, 
Electrosurgical cutting and coagulation device and accessories. This 
generic type of device includes bipolar vessel sealing instruments, 
associated electrosurgical generators, and accessories for use in open 
and minimally invasive general surgical procedures. This guidance is 
intended only to address bipolar electrosurgical vessel sealers that 
have general indications for use in general surgery.
    In the Federal Register of March 24, 2014 (79 FR 16009), FDA 
announced the availability of the draft guidance. Interested persons 
were invited to comment by June 23, 2014. Four sets of comments were 
received. FDA reviewed and considered all the public comments received 
and revised sections of the guidance, where applicable.

II. Significance of Guidance

    This guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good guidance 
practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The guidance represents the 
current thinking of FDA on Premarket Notification (510(k)) Submissions 
for Bipolar Electrosurgical Vessel Sealers for General Surgery. 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 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 ``Premarket Notification 
(510(k)) Submissions for Bipolar Electrosurgical Vessel Sealers for 
General Surgery'' may send an email request to [email protected] to receive an electronic copy of the document. 
Please use the document number 1300048 to identify the guidance you are 
requesting.

IV. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This guidance refers to previously approved collections of 
information. 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 807, subpart E have been approved under OMB control number 0910-
0120; 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 801 have been approved under OMB control 
number 0910-0485; the collections of information in 21 CFR part 58 have 
been approved under OMB control number 0910-0119; and the collections 
of information in the guidance document ``Requests for Feedback on 
Medical Device Submissions: The Pre-Submission Program and Meetings 
with Food and Drug Administration Staff'' have been

[[Page 54104]]

approved under OMB control number 0910-0756.

    Dated: August 9, 2016.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016-19402 Filed 8-12-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P