[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 200 (Thursday, October 15, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65409-65410]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22877]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2019-D-1261]


Technical Considerations for Non-Clinical Assessment of Medical 
Devices Containing Nitinol; 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 a final guidance entitled ``Technical 
Considerations for Non-Clinical Assessment of Medical Devices 
containing Nitinol.'' The Agency has developed this guidance to provide 
FDA's current thinking on technical considerations specific to devices 
using nitinol due to the unique properties of nitinol. This guidance 
document is intended to provide clarity and consistency in recommended 
non-clinical assessments across a variety of medical devices that 
contain nitinol.

DATES: The announcement of the guidance is published in the Federal 
Register on October 15, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit either electronic or written comments on 
Agency guidances at any time as follows:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to https://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 https://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): Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Dockets 
Management Staff, 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-2019-D-1261 for ``Technical Considerations for Non-Clinical 
Assessment of Medical Devices containing Nitinol.'' Received comments 
will be placed in the docket and, except for those submitted as 
``Confidential Submissions,'' publicly viewable at https://www.regulations.gov or at the Dockets Management Staff between 9 a.m. 
and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 240-402-7500.
     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 https://www.regulations.gov. 
Submit both copies to the Dockets Management Staff. 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: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2015-09-18/pdf/2015-23389.pdf.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to https://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 Dockets Management Staff, 5630 Fishers Lane, 
Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852, 240-402-7500.
    You may submit comments on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 
10.115(g)(5)).
    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 
``Technical Considerations for Non-Clinical Assessment of Medical 
Devices containing Nitinol'' to the Office of Policy, 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: Matthew Di Prima, Center for Devices 
and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 62, Rm. 2124, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-
796-2507.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The use of nitinol in medical devices began over three decades ago 
in product areas such as orthodontic archwires, cardiovascular 
guidewires, and surgical instruments. Its use has increased over the 
past two decades into different device areas such as orthopaedic 
fracture fixation, coronary stents, and transcatheter heart valves. 
With an increasing trend to treat patients using minimally invasive 
procedures, nitinol has become a popular choice of material due to its 
ability to return to its original shape after being mechanically 
deformed or after heat is applied. Given

[[Page 65410]]

the complex thermomechanical behavior of nitinol, there are unique 
considerations when assessing the safety and performance of nitinol 
devices.
    The Agency has developed this guidance to provide FDA's current 
thinking on technical considerations specific to devices using nitinol. 
These recommendations are intended to be general and apply to medical 
devices that have at least one patient contacting component comprised 
of nitinol. The following technical areas are covered by this guidance: 
general information, mechanical testing, corrosion, biocompatibility, 
and labeling of nitinol devices.
    A notice of availability of the draft guidance appeared in the 
Federal Register of April 19, 2019 (84 FR 16516). FDA considered 
comments received and revised the guidance as appropriate in response 
to the comments, including minor technical clarifications.
    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 technical considerations for non-clinical 
assessment of medical devices containing nitinol. 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.

II. 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 https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/device-advice-comprehensive-regulatory-assistance/guidance-documents-medical-devices-and-radiation-emitting-products. This guidance document is also 
available at https://www.regulations.gov. Persons unable to download an 
electronic copy of ``Technical Considerations for Non-Clinical 
Assessment of Medical Devices containing Nitinol'' may send an email 
request to [email protected] to receive an electronic copy of 
the document. Please use the document number 17013 and the complete 
guidance title to identify the guidance you are requesting.

III. 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. 3501-3521). The collections of information in 
the following FDA regulations and guidance have been approved by OMB as 
listed in the following table:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            OMB Control
    21 CFR part or guidance               Topic                 No.
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807, subpart E.................  Premarket notification.       0910-0120
814, subparts A through E......  Premarket approval.....       0910-0231
814, subpart H.................  Humanitarian Device           0910-0332
                                  Exemption.
812............................  Investigational Device        0910-0078
                                  Exemption.
``De Novo Classification         De Novo classification        0910-0844
 Process (Evaluation of           process.
 Automatic Class III
 Designation)``.
``FDA and Industry Procedures    513(g) Request for            0910-0705
 for Section 513(g) Requests      Information.
 for Information under the
 Federal Food, Drug, and
 Cosmetic Act``.
``Requests for Feedback on       Q-submissions..........       0910-0756
 Medical Device Submissions:
 The Q-Submission Program and
 Meetings with Food and Drug
 Administration Staff``.
801............................  Medical Device Labeling       0910-0485
                                  Regulations.
820............................  Current Good                  0910-0073
                                  Manufacturing
                                  Practice; Quality
                                  System Regulation.
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    Dated: October 9, 2020.
Lauren K. Roth,
Acting Principal Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2020-22877 Filed 10-14-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P