Document Center’s 20 Top Selling Standards of 2012

Yes, it’s time to review Document Center‘s top selling standards of 2012.  Do you use any of these popular items?

  1. BS EN ISO 13485, New 2012 Edition, Medical Devices. Quality Management Systems. Requirements for Regulatory Purposes
  2. BS EN ISO 14971, New 2012 Edition, Medical Devices. Application of Risk Management To Medical Devices
  3. ISO 15223-1, New 2nd Edition, Medical Devices – Symbols To Be Used With Medical Device Labels, Labelling and Information To Be Supplied – Part 1: General Requirements
  4. BS EN ISO 15223-1 (paper or CD Rom format), New 2012 Edition (replaces BS EN 980), Medical Devices. Symbols To Be Used With Medical Device Labels, Labelling and Information To Be Supplied. General Requirements
  5. ASTM F2096, 2011 Edition, Standard Test Method for Detecting Gross Leaks in Packaging by Internal Pressurization (Bubble Test)
  6. AMS 2750, New Revision E, Pyrometry
  7. 21 CFR Parts 800-1299, 2012 Edition, Code of Federal Regulations – Title 21–Food and Drugs (Parts 800 To 1299)
  8. ISO 19011, 2011 Edition, Guidelines for Auditing Management Systems
  9. SOR/98-282, 2012 Consolidated Edition, Medical Devices Regulations (Canada)
  10. IEC 60601-1, Consolidated Edition 3.1 with Corrigendum, Medical Electrical Equipment – Part 1: General Requirements for Basic Safety and Essential Performance
  11. MEDDEV 2.12/1, New 8th Revision, Guidelines on a Medical Devices Vigilance System
  12. ASTM E1417, 2011 Edition with Editorial Change, Standard Practice for Liquid Penetrant Testing
  13. ASTM E18, 2011 Edition, Standard Test Methods for Rockwell Hardness of Metallic Materials
  14. ASTM A370, 2012A Edition, Standard Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
  15. IPC-A-610, Revision E, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies
  16. ISO 11137-2, 2012 Edition, Sterilization of Health Care Products – Radiation – Part 2: Establishing the Sterilization Dose
  17. ASTM A240/A240M, 2012A Edition, Standard Specification for Chromium and Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel Plate, Sheet, and Strip for Pressure Vessels and for General Applications
  18. ASQ Z1.4, 2008 Edition, Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes
  19. ISTA 2A, 2012 Edition, Performance Tests for Packaged-Products, Packaged-Products 150 Lb (68 Kg) or Less
  20. IPC/WHMA-A-620, Revision B, Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies  — tied with the all time favorite: ISO-9000, 2005 Edition, Quality Management Systems – Fundamentals and Vocabulary

All these standards are available from Document Center Inc. at our webstore, www.document-center.com.  Or contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  We’re here to assist you with both your standards purchases and the services you need to maintain your standards collection.

New BS EN ISO 14971 2012 Edition released on Medical devices. Application of risk management to medical devices

BS EN ISO 14971:2012, “Medical devices. Application of risk management to medical devices,” has been released and is now available from Document Center Inc.   It is the UK implementation of EN ISO 14971:2012. It is identical to ISO 14971:2007 (Corrected Version from 10/2007).  FYI: The 2012 Edition supersedes BS EN ISO 14971:2009 which is withdrawn.

This new edition provides the user with important new information on the differences between the ISO 14971 and the requirements of the 93/42/eec, 90/385/eec and 98/79/ec Directives.  In other words, Annexes ZA, ZB and ZC explain to which requirements, under which conditions and to what extent presumption of conformity can be claimed.

This is the first time that I recall seeing such a clear and detailed explanation of differences between the standard and the directive in the EN Annexes that are now appearing at the head of many of the ISO adoptions.  Here, for each directive referenced by Annex, there are about 7 areas with differing requirements.  Furthermore, information on corrective action is also given.

Here is an example of the new guidance provided:

“1. Treatment of negligible risks:
a) According to standard ISO 14971, the manufacturer may discard negligible risks.
b) However, Sections 1 and 2 of Annex I to Directive 93/42/EEC require that all risks, regardless of their dimension, need to be reduced as much as possible and need to be balanced, together with all other risks, against the benefit of the device.
c) Accordingly, the manufacturer must take all risks into account when assessing Sections 1 and 2 of Annex I to Directive 93/42/EEC.”

As you can see, this material is essential to conformance with the EN requirements and will make the purchase of the EN edition (BS EN ISO 14971 is the official English language edition) mandatory for medical device manufacturers certifying to the standard for sales in Europe.

All BS EN standards are available from Document Center Inc. at our website, www.document-center.com.  Or contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  Our expert staff can assist you in all your regulatory documentation requirements.

 

Document Center’s Top 20 Best Selling Standards for 2011

Yes, it’s the end of the year and what better time to highlight our best selling standards of 2011!  Here’s what Document Center customers wanted this year:

  1. ISO 14155, 2nd Edition and Technical Corrigendum (correction sheet) from 2011, “Clinical investigation of medical devices for human subjects – Good clinical practice”
  2. ISO 19011, 2nd Edition, 2011, “Guidelines for auditing management systems”
  3. AMS 2700, Revision E, “Passivation of Corrosion Resistant Steels”
  4. 21CFR(800-1299), 2011 Edition, “Code of Federal Regulations – Food and Drug Administration Parts 800 through 1299”
  5. BS EN ISO 14971, 2009 Edition with Corrigendum 1 (correction) from 2011, “Medical devices. Application of risk management to medical devices”
  6. ASTM F1980, 2007 R2011 Edition (reapproved in 2011), “Standard Guide for Accelerated Aging of Sterile Barrier Systems for Medical Devices”
  7. IPC A 610, Revision E from 2010, “Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies”
  8. AS 9100, Revision C from 2011, “Quality Management Systems – Requirements for Aviation, Space & Defense Organizations”
  9. ASME Y14.5, 2009 Edition, “Dimensioning and Tolerancing”
  10. ASQ Z1.4, 2008 Edition, “Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes”
  11. ASTM E1417, 2011 Edition, “Standard Practice for Liquid Penetrant Testing”
  12. ISTA 2A, 2011 Edition, “Performance Tests for Packaged-Products, Packaged-Products 150 lb (68 kg) or Less”
  13. ISO 9001, 4th Edition, Corrected and reprinted in 2009, “Quality management systems — Requirements”
  14. SOR/98-282, 2011 Edition, “Canadian Medical Devices Regulation”
  15. ASTM D4169, 2009 Edition, “Standard Practice for Performance Testing of Shipping Containers and Systems”
  16. ASTM E1444, 2011 Edition, “Standard Practice for Magnetic Particle Testing”
  17. BS EN 60601-1, 2006 Edition with Corrigendum 1 (correction sheet) from 2011, “Medical electrical equipment. General requirements for safety”
  18. ISO 10993-1, 4th Edition with Technical Corrigendum 1 (correction sheet) from 2011, “Biological evaluation of medical devices – Part 1: Evaluation and testing within a risk management process”
  19. ISO 13485, 2nd Edition with Technical Corrigendum 1 (correction sheet) from 2009, “Medical devices – Quality management systems – Requirements for regulatory purposes”
  20. ASTM A240, 2011a Edition, “Standard Specification for Chromium and Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel Plate, Sheet, and Strip for Pressure Vessels and for General Applications”

These documents are all available from Document Center Inc. at our website, www.document-center.com.  Or contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com) for more information.  We’re happy to help you with all your standards questions and requirements.

Happy New Year!

New BS EN ISO 14971 Medical devices. Application of risk management to medical devices Corregendum 1 for 2009 Edition

BS EN ISO 14971:2009 has been reissued with a new Corrigendum 1 as of February 2011.  The document is titled “Medical devices. Application of risk management to medical devices.”  It’s available for purchase from Document Center Inc.

The EN Corrigenda are corrections that are interfiled directly into the standard they modify.  For example, the Corrigendum 1 for  the BS EN ISO 14971:2009 corrects the pagination of the document.  So, there is no page within the document that describes the change.  It is just included by correcting the way the pages are numbered.

The EN ISO 14971 is a major European medical devices standard.  The BS EN ISO 14971 is the official English language edition.  It continues to adopt the ISO-14971:2007 Edition.

The standard specifies a process for a manufacturer to identify the hazards associated with medical devices, including in vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical devices, to estimate and evaluate the associated risks, to control these risks, and to monitor the effectiveness of the controls.

The requirements of ISO 14971:2007 and its various adoptions are applicable to all stages of the life-cycle of a medical device.

The EN ISO 14971 is one of the “harmonised” standards for the Medical Devices Directive (93/42/eec), which means that by meeting the requirements of the standard there is the presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the directive.

Both ISO 14971 and BS EN ISO 14971 are available for purchase from Document Center Inc.  Check out our website at www.document-center.com or send us an email at info@document-center.com, phone us at 650-591-7600 or send a fax to 650-591-7617.  We’re happy to help you with all your Standards Requirements.

Advice from the Pros regarding the use of ISO and EN-ISO standards for certification

I recently sent emails to a number of quality professionals asking the question: Is the use of the equivalent ISO document acceptable in  the place of the EN-ISO adoption of the same standard?

I got back a wide variety of responses and am culling the best suggestions here for you!

As one consultant put it, “The bottom line [is that it] will ultimately be a decision made by the registrar.”   Or, as another expert wrote, “The only issue would be if the Notified Body is BSI… they may ‘prefer’ the client using the BS[-EN version].”

However, there was a response from a Regulatory Compliance Specialist who works for a major international medical devices company that did provide a rationale for the use of the EN documentation, and a suggestion on how to keep from having to purchase multiple copies of the same material.

He notes that auditors will require the use of the EN editions because they are specifically called out in the supporting harmonised lists for specific directives.  However, he has found that the original source documents can be substituted if the organization being registered will take the time to do the following steps:

1.  Provide a reason for choosing a different document than the EN Edition.

2.  Provide written justification that the ISO documents are identical to the EN adoptions.   (Document Center Inc. can provide you with documentation that this is so.)

3.  For those EN adoptions that have a conflicting date due to the addition of the annexes, provide documentation that shows that the differences do not affect your product.  (Again, Document Center Inc. can help you with this.)

I also asked if there were other jurisdictions that presented similar documentation issues.  Here’s some of the  feedback:

1.  Canada – Note that CSA has lists of recognized standards, similar to the lists issued by the EU.  However, they not only list the CSA National publications but also the source ISO documents when applicable — they are more flexible in their published approach.

2.  There are countries like Japan and China that will not recognize certain ISO standards.

3.  Certification in the U.S. is more flexible than EU certification, with more acceptance of the various national adoptions.

And in a phone conversion, it was pointed out that an EN standard with the same number as an ISO document, but without the ISO as part of the number, is not an equivalent standard.  So the above suggestions for gaining acceptance of the ISO original for EN certification will only apply to EN documents that are identical.

All comments will be appreciated.  And if you’d like to get in touch directly, contact us at info@document-center.com, to my attention, Claudia Bach.

Is BS-EN-ISO-14971 identical to ISO-14971?

Here at Document Center Inc. we have bought in to the concept of “One Standard, One Test, Accepted everywhere”, the theme of World Standards Day 2002.

So when BSI, the British Standards Institute,  states that BS-EN-ISO-14971 (Medical devices. Application of risk management to medical devices) is identical to both EN ISO 14971:2009 and  ISO 14971:2007, we believe it.

However, we’ve heard of a couple of cases where auditors at customer sites have not accepted the ISO-14971 2007 Edition as being equal to the BS-EN-ISO-14971 2009 Edition for use in certifying to the EU Medical Device Directive.

We are putting out a call to the auditors themselves to see if we can get clarification on why the documents are not interchangeable for purposes of meeting the EU Directive requirements.

Having to purchase multiple copies of a single  ISO standard to meet certification requirements for different jurisdictions is problematic.  The costs can rise rapidly and references to multiple versions of a document can be cumbersome and difficult to manage when updates are made.

Do you have an opinion on this?  Are you an auditor who can speak with authority on this issue?  We ‘d love to hear from you.

Claudia Bach, President, Document Center Inc (www.document-center.com)

ISO-14971 – A guide to the document and it’s many reprints

ISO-14971:2007,  Medical devices — Application of risk management to medical devices, is a critical component to any medical device manufacturers core standards collection. However, many users get confused by the many adoptions and reprints of this standard.

According to ISO, the document itself “specifies a process for a manufacturer to identify the hazards associated with medical devices, including in vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical devices, to estimate and evaluate the associated risks, to control these risks, and to monitor the effectiveness of the controls.”

It is an integral part of the Medical Device Quality Management System outlined by ISO-13485, Medical devices — Quality management systems — Requirements for regulatory purposes.

But the fact that the document is essential to a Medical Devices Quality system has meant that the document has been adopted and reprinted the world over.  The existence of many documents with “ISO-14971” in the document number but with differing dates makes choosing the right document difficult for some.

The reason for the many adoptions is the very popularity of the document itself.  For example, the European union has a scheme in place (harmonized standards) so that the requirements of legislation translate into regulation based on EN standards.   These standards have been produced under a mandate from the European Commission and adopted by Member States under the “New Approach” Directive.  And the EU is partial to the use of ISO standards whenever possible.

When legislation requires risk management to be adopted by companies selling medical devices in Europe, the use of the ISO-14971 is promptly identified as the standard to use.  However, the administrative process requires the ISO document to be adopted by the EU as an EN standard and then made publicly available as adoptions by the various countries of the EU as they are being put into use.  The BS-EN-ISO-14971 is the official English language edition, DIN-EN-ISO-14971 is the official German language edition, and so on.

Unfortunately, administrative activities have caused the issuance of 2009 Editions of the EN adoptions, out of sync with the current 2007 Edition of the ISO source document.  Customers do not realize that the ISO itself is stable in both the EN-14971:2007 and EN-14971:2009 Editions.  Only the administrative EN information has changed.

Another factor in the widespread reissuing of this document is the fact that when a country participates in the development of an ISO standard, they receive the right to reprint the standard in a national translation.  So, because AAMI is the U.S. “tag” (participant) for this committee, we have an American release of this standard, ANSI/AAMI/ISO-14971 2007 Edition.  The document has administrative information particular to the U.S. in the opening pages, much like the EN adoption.   Then the ISO edition is reprinted verbatim, except where English spelling conventions have been translated into the U.S. format (like “colour” vs. “color”).

You will find similar adoptions in Canada, Russia, Japan, and so on.

Our only comment to our customers is that the higher up the food chain you go, the “fresher” your information will be.  That is, the source document, ISO-14971, changes first and is released first.  Then each organization that issues a reprint of the item must go through the administrative formalities of adopting the new information.

However, many times the national translations of the ISO documents can be less expensive than the source material.  So if cost is a concern, you may want to check out the AAMI/ISO edition of the 14971.

Of course, to purchase ISO-14971 or the other documents mentioned above, they’re available from Document Center Inc. at www.document-center.com, info@document-center.com, and by phone at +650-591-7600 or fax at +650-591-7617.