Medical device types
A sampling of the types of medical devices on the U.S. market, from electrical stimulators to CPAP and BiPAP machines. Most of these are U.S. Class II devices that require a cleared premarket notification (510(k)) to enable them to be marketed in the United States. And most of them have had a product safety recall or correction.
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Medical Device Headlines
April 2026 Update for FDA QMSR Inspection Results
April 2026 Update for FDA QMSR Inspection ResultsConfirming the Shift to System-Level, Risk-Based Inspection When FDA’s Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR) took effect on February 2, 2026, the regulatory framework became formally aligned with ISO 13485. What...
Merit Medical Dialysis Catheter Recall – Risk of Serious Injury
Merit Medical Removes 16F Dual-Valved Splittable Sheath Introducer Design Defect May Lead to Hemorrhage, Embolization, and Loss of Vascular Access The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified a Class I recall involving Merit Medical’s 16F Dual-Valved...
Medline Recalls Angiographic RA Control Syringes
Angiographic Syringe Recall: Medline Removes RA Control Syringes Due to Risk of Disconnection and Air Embolism The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that Medline Industries has issued an Urgent Medical Device Recall involving certain Namic...
Class I Correction for Abiomed Impella Inaccurate Flow Readings
Abiomed Impella RP: FDA Class I Correction for Inaccurate Flow Readings Abiomed has issued an Urgent Medical Device Correction for its Impella RP with SmartAssist and Impella RP Flex with SmartAssist systems due to potential inaccuracies in displayed pump performance...
Class I Correction for Homecare Bed Fire and Entrapment Risks
Medline Homecare Beds: FDA Class I Correction for Fire and Entrapment Risks Medline Industries has issued a critical safety correction involving multiple models of homecare beds following reports of overheating components, electrical hazards, and patient entrapment...
When a Small Process Failure Becomes a Patient Safety Event
What the Erbe Cryoprobe Alert Teaches Us About Modern Device Quality The FDA’s recent Early Alert regarding flexible cryoprobes manufactured by Erbe USA is a textbook example of a fundamental truth in medical device quality. That small manufacturing deviations can...
FDA Flags High-Risk Issue with Erbe Flexible Cryoprobes
FDA Flags High-Risk Issue with Erbe Flexible Cryoprobes The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) has issued an Early Alert regarding a potentially high-risk issue involving certain flexible cryoprobes manufactured by Erbe USA. Issue Overview Erbe...
EPA Proposes Rollback of EtO Sterilization Emissions Limits
EPA Proposes Rollback of Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Emissions LimitsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed weakening restrictions on emissions of ethylene oxide (EtO) from commercial sterilization facilities that sterilize medical devices. EtO plays a...
FDA Approves Novel Device for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
FDA Approves Novel Device for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Optune Pax, a first-of-its-kind medical device designed to treat adult patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Developed by Novocure, the portable...
When Apparel Becomes a Medical Device
Lessons from FDA’s Breast Binder Warning Letters In December 2025, the FDA issued warning letters to several companies selling breast binders and chest compression garments online. The agency concluded that marketing claims on company websites, like statements about...