[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 244 (Thursday, December 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72969-72971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27812]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2021-D-0980]


Assessing the Credibility of Computational Modeling and 
Simulation in Medical Device Submissions; Draft Guidance for Industry 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the availability of the draft guidance entitled ``Assessing the 
Credibility of Computational Modeling and Simulation in Medical Device 
Submissions.'' Computational modeling and simulation (CM&S) can be used 
in a variety of ways in medical device applications, including to 
perform ``in silico'' device testing or as part of software embedded in 
a device. This guidance provides a risk-based framework that can be 
used in the credibility assessment of computational modeling and 
simulation (CM&S) used in medical device regulatory submissions. The 
draft guidance is intended to improve the consistency and transparency 
of the review of computational modeling evidence. This draft guidance 
is not final nor is it in effect at this time.

DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments on the draft 
guidance

[[Page 72970]]

by February 22, 2022 to ensure that the Agency considers your comment 
on this draft guidance before it begins work on the final version of 
the guidance.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on any guidance 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-2021-D-0980 for ``Assessing the Credibility of Computational 
Modeling and Simulation in Medical Device Submissions.'' 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 draft guidance document entitled 
``Assessing the Credibility of Computational Modeling and Simulation in 
Medical Device Submissions'' to the Office of Policy, 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: Pras Pathmanathan, Center for Devices 
and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 1133, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-
796-3490.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    CM&S can be used in a variety of ways in medical device 
applications, including to perform in silico (virtual) device testing 
or as part of algorithms within software embedded in a device. However, 
regulatory submissions involving CM&S often lack clear information for 
why model predictions can be considered credible. This draft guidance 
provides a risk-based framework that can be used in the credibility 
assessment of CM&S used in medical device regulatory submissions. This 
draft guidance builds upon the FDA-recognized consensus standard 
American Society of Mechanical Engineers V&V 40, ``Assessing 
Credibility of Computational Modeling Through Verification and 
Validation: Application to Medical Devices,'' by providing a general 
framework for demonstrating CM&S credibility that incorporates the 
different types of evidence typically generated for regulatory 
submissions. The framework is intended to be applicable to any use of 
CM&S in a medical device submission. It is not specific to any device 
type, modeling discipline or clinical specialty.
    This draft guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good 
guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The draft guidance, when 
finalized, will represent the current thinking of FDA on ``Assessing 
the Credibility of Computational Modeling and Simulation in Medical 
Device Submissions.'' 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 draft 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 draft guidance document 
is also available at https://www.regulations.gov and at https://
www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents. 
Persons unable to download

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an electronic copy of ``Assessing the Credibility of Computational 
Modeling and Simulation in Medical Device Submissions'' may send an 
email request to [email protected] to receive an electronic 
copy of the document. Please use the document number 1500056 and 
complete title to identify the guidance you are requesting.

III. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    While this guidance contains no new collection of information, it 
does refer to previously approved FDA collections of information. 
Therefore, clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521) is not 
required for this guidance. The previously approved collections of 
information are subject to review by OMB under the PRA. The collections 
of information in the following FDA regulations and guidances 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                  0910-0120
                                     notification.
814, subparts A through E.........  Premarket approval..       0910-0231
814, subpart H....................  Humanitarian Device        0910-0332
                                     Exemption.
812...............................  Investigational            0910-0078
                                     Device Exemption.
``De Novo Classification Process    De Novo                    0910-0844
 (Evaluation of Automatic Class      classification
 III Designation)''.                 process.
``Requests for Feedback and         Q-submissions; pre-        0910-0756
 Meetings for Medical Device         submissions.
 Submissions: The Q-Submission
 Program''.
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    Dated: December 17, 2021.
Lauren K. Roth,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2021-27812 Filed 12-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P