Medical Devices; Radiology Devices; Classification of the Radiological Acquisition and/or Optimization Guidance System

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES <SUBAGY>Food and Drug Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>21 CFR Part 892</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FDA-2025-N-1182]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>Medical Devices; Radiology Devices; Classification of the Radiological Acquisition and/or Optimization Guidance System</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Food and Drug Administration, HHS. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final amendment; final order. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, or we) is classifying the radiological acquisition and/or optimization guidance system into class II (special controls). The special controls that apply to the device type are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the radiological acquisition and/or optimization guidance system's classification. We are taking this action because we have determined that classifying the device into class II (special controls) will provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device. We believe this action will also enhance patients' access to beneficial innovative devices in part by reducing regulatory burdens. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This order is effective June 2, 2025. The classification was applicable on February 7, 2020. </EFFDATE> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Shahram Vaezy, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 3656, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-796-6242, <E T="03">Shahram.Vaezy@fda.hhs.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Background</HD> Upon request, FDA has classified the radiological acquisition and/or optimization guidance system as class II (special controls), which we have determined will provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness. In addition, we believe this action will enhance patients' access to beneficial innovation, in part by reducing regulatory burdens by placing the device into a lower device class than the automatic class III assignment. The automatic assignment of class III occurs by operation of law and without any action by FDA, regardless of the level of risk posed by the new device. Any device that was not in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976, is automatically classified as, and remains within, class III and requires premarket approval unless and until FDA takes an action to classify or reclassify the device (see 21 U.S.C. 360c(f)(1)). We refer to these devices as “postamendments devices” because they were not in commercial distribution prior to the date of enactment of the Medical Device Amendments of 1976, which amended the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). FDA may take a variety of actions in appropriate circumstances to classify or reclassify a device into class I or II. We may issue an order finding a new device to be substantially equivalent under section 513(i) of the FD&C Act (see 21 U.S.C. 360c(i)) to a predicate device that does not require premarket approval. We determine whether a new device is substantially equivalent to a predicate device by means of the procedures for premarket notification under section 510(k) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 360(k)) and part 807 (21 CFR part 807). FDA may also classify a device through “De Novo” classification, a common name for the process authorized under section 513(f)(2) of the FD&C Act (see also part 860, subpart D (21 CFR part 860, subpart D)). Section 207 of the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-115) established the first procedure for De Novo classification. Section 607 of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 112-144) modified the De Novo application process by adding a second procedure. A device sponsor may utilize either procedure for De Novo classification. Under the first procedure, the person submits a 510(k) for a device that has not previously been classified. After receiving an order from FDA classifying the device into class III under section 513(f)(1) of the FD&C Act, the person then requests a classification under section 513(f)(2). Under the second procedure, rather than first submitting a 510(k) and then a request for classification, if the person determines that there is no legally marketed device upon which to base a determination of substantial equivalence, that person requests a classification under section 513(f)(2) of the FD&C Act. Under either procedure for De Novo classification, FDA is required to classify the device by written order within 120 days. The classification will be according to the criteria under section 513(a)(1) of the FD&C Act. Although the device was automatically placed within class III, the De Novo classification is considered to be the initial classification of the device. We believe this De Novo classification will enhance patients' access to beneficial innovation, in part by reducing regulatory burdens. When FDA classifies a device into class I or II via the De Novo process, the device can serve as a predicate for future devices of that type, including for 510(k)s (see section 513(f)(2)(B)(i) of the FD&C Act). As a result, other device sponsors do not have to submit a De Novo request or premarket approval application to market a substantially equivalent device (see section 513(i) of the FD&C Act, defining “substantial equivalence”). Instead, sponsors can use the less-burdensome 510(k) process, when necessary, to market their device. <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. De Novo Classification</HD> On August 27, 2019, FDA received Caption Health, Inc.'s request for De Novo classification of the Caption Guidance. FDA reviewed the request in order to classify the device under the criteria for classification set forth in section 513(a)(1) of the FD&C Act. We classify devices into class II if general controls by themselves are insufficient to provide reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness, but there is sufficient information to establish special controls that, in combination with the general controls, provide reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the device for its intended use (see 21 U.S.C. 360c(a)(1)(B)). After review of the information submitted in the request, we determined that the device can be classified into class II with the establishment of special controls. FDA has determined that these special controls, in addition to the general controls, will provide reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the device. Therefore, on February 7, 2020, FDA issued an order to the requester classifying the device into class II. In this final order, FDA is codifying the classification of the device by adding 21 CFR 892.2100. <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> We have named the generic type of device radiological acquisition and/or optimization guidance system, and it is identified as a device that is intended to aid in the acquisition and/or optimization of images and/or diagnostic signals. The device interfaces with the acquisition system, analyzes its output, and provides guidance and/or feedback to the operator for improving image and/or signal quality. <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>  FDA notes that the <E T="02">ACTION</E> caption for this final order is styled as “Final amendment; final order,” rather than “Final order.” Beginning in December 2019, this editorial change was made to indicate that the document “amends” the Code of Federal Regulations. The change was made in accordance with the Office of Federal Register's (OFR) interpretations of the Federal Register Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 15), its implementing regulations (1 CFR 5.9 and parts 21 and 22), and the Document Drafting Handbook. </FTNT> FDA has identified the following risks to health associated specifically with this type of device and the measures required to mitigate these risks in table 1. <GPOTABLE COLS="2" OPTS="L2,nj,i1" CDEF="xl200,r110"> <TTITLE>Table 1—Radiological Acquisition and/or Optimization Guidance System Risks and Mitigation Measures</TTITLE> <CHED H="1">Identified risks to health</CHED> <CHED H="1">Mitigation measures</CHED> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Device Error—Failure to provide guidance on acquiring diagnostic-quality images or signals, leading to delay, prolonged examination, or additional unnecessary procedures, due to:</ENT> <ENT>Design verification and validation, and Labeling.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="03">• Algorithm failure.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="03">• Hardware or software failure.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">User Error—Operator failure to follow the guidance provided by the device to acquire diagnostic-quality images or signals, leading to delay, prolonged examination, or additional unnecessary procedures, due to human error.</ENT> <ENT>Design verification and validation, and Labeling.</ENT> </ROW> </GPOTABLE> FDA has determined that special controls, in combination with the general controls, address these risks to health and provide reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness. For a device to fall within this classification, and thus avoid automatic classification in class III, it would have to comply with the special controls named in this final order. The necessary special controls appear in the regulation codified by this order. This device is subject to premarket notification requirements under section 510(k) of the FD&C Act. <HD SOURCE="HD1">III. Analysis of Environmental Impact</HD> The Agency has determined under 21 CFR 25.34(b) that this action is of a type that does not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment. Therefore, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required. <HD SOURCE="HD1">IV. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995</HD> This final order est ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 16k characters. 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