Medical Devices; Hematology and Pathology Devices; Classification of Blood Establishment Computer Software and Accessories, 10553-10557 [2016-04411]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2016 / Proposed Rules
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• If you want to submit a comment
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
21 CFR Part 864
[Docket No. FDA–2016–N–0406]
Medical Devices; Hematology and
Pathology Devices; Classification of
Blood Establishment Computer
Software and Accessories
AGENCY:
Food and Drug Administration,
HHS.
ACTION:
Proposed rule.
The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA, Agency, or we) is
proposing to classify the blood
establishment computer software
(BECS) and BECS accessories into class
II (special controls). FDA is identifying
proposed special controls for BECS and
BECS accessories that are necessary to
provide a reasonable assurance of safety
and effectiveness. FDA is also giving
notice that the Agency does not intend
to exempt BECS and BECS accessories
from premarket notification
requirements of the Federal Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act). FDA
is publishing in this document the
recommendations of the Blood Product
Advisory Committee regarding the
classification of these devices. After
considering public comments on the
proposed classification, FDA will
publish a final regulation classifying
these device types.
DATES: Submit either electronic or
written comments by May 31, 2016.
Please see section IV of this document
for the proposed effective date of a final
rule that may issue based on this
proposal.
SUMMARY:
ADDRESSES:
You may submit comments
as follows:
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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
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Written/Paper Submissions
Submit written/paper submissions as
follows:
• Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for
written/paper submissions): Division of
Dockets Management (HFA–305), Food
and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers
Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
• For written/paper comments
submitted to the Division of Dockets
Management, 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–
2016–N–0406 for ‘‘Medical Devices;
Hematology and Pathology Devices;
Classification of Blood Establishment
Computer Software and Accessories.’’
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
Division of Dockets Management
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday.
• 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 Division of Dockets
Management. 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
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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.gpo.gov/
fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-09-18/pdf/201523389.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 Division of Dockets
Management, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm.
1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jessica T. Walker, Center for Biologics
Evaluation and Research, Food and
Drug Administration, 10903 New
Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 7301,
Silver Spring, MD 20993–0002, 240–
402–7911.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
A. Statutory and Regulatory Authorities
The FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.),
as amended by the Medical Device
Amendments of 1976, establishes a
comprehensive system for the regulation
of medical devices intended for human
use. Section 513 of the FD&C Act (21
U.S.C. 360c) establishes three categories
(classes) of devices depending on the
regulatory controls needed to provide
reasonable assurance of their safety and
effectiveness. The three categories of
devices are class I (general controls),
class II (special controls), and class III
(premarket approval).
Class I devices are those devices for
which the general controls of the FD&C
Act (controls authorized by or under
sections 501, 502, 510, 516, 518, 519, or
520 or any combination of such
sections) are sufficient to provide
reasonable assurance of safety and
effectiveness; or those devices for which
insufficient information exists to
determine that general controls are
sufficient to provide reasonable
assurance of safety and effectiveness or
to establish special controls to provide
such assurance, but because the devices
are not purported or represented to be
for a use in supporting or sustaining
human life or for a use which is of
substantial importance in preventing
impairment of human health, and do
not present a potential unreasonable
risk of illness or injury, are to be
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regulated by general controls (section
513(a)(1)(A) of the FD&C Act). Class II
devices are those devices for which
general controls by themselves are
insufficient to provide reasonable
assurance of safety and effectiveness,
but for which there is sufficient
information to establish special controls
to provide such assurance, including the
issue of performance standards,
postmarket surveillance, patient
registries, development and
dissemination of guidelines,
recommendations, and other
appropriate actions the Agency deems
necessary to provide such assurance
(section 513(a)(1)(B) of the FD&C Act).
Class III devices are those devices for
which insufficient information exists to
determine that general controls and
special controls would provide a
reasonable assurance of safety and
effectiveness, and are purported or
represented for a use in supporting or
sustaining human life or for a use which
is of substantial importance in
preventing impairment of human
health, or present a potential
unreasonable risk of illness or injury
(section 513(a)(1)(C) of the FD&C Act).
Under section 513(d)(1) of the FD&C
Act, devices that were in commercial
distribution before the enactment of the
Medical Device Amendments of 1976
(1976 amendments), May 28, 1976
(generally referred to as
‘‘preamendments devices’’), are
classified after FDA: (1) Receives a
recommendation from a device
classification panel (an FDA advisory
committee); (2) publishes the panel’s
recommendation for comment, along
with a proposed regulation classifying
the device; and (3) publishes a final
regulation classifying the device.
FDA has classified most
preamendments devices under these
procedures, relying upon valid scientific
evidence as described in section
513(a)(3) of the FD&C Act and 21 CFR
860.7(c), to determine that there is
reasonable assurance of the safety and
effectiveness of a device under its
conditions of use.
Devices that were not in commercial
distribution before May 28, 1976
(generally referred to as
‘‘postamendments devices’’), are
classified automatically by section
513(f) of the FD&C Act into class III
without any FDA rulemaking process.
Those devices remain in class III and
require premarket approval, unless and
until: (1) FDA classifies or reclassifies
the device into class I or II or (2) FDA
issues an order finding the device to be
substantially equivalent, in accordance
with section 513(i) of the FD&C Act, to
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a predicate device that does not require
premarket approval.
The Agency determines whether new
devices are substantially equivalent to
previously marketed devices by means
of premarket notification procedures in
section 510(k) of the FD&C Act (21
U.S.C. 360(k)) and part 807 of the
regulations (21 CFR part 807).
A person may market a
preamendments device that has been
classified into class III through
premarket notification procedures
without submission of a premarket
approval application (PMA) until FDA
issues a final order under section 515(b)
of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 360e(b))
requiring premarket approval.
B. Regulatory History of the Devices
After the enactment of the 1976
amendments, FDA began to identify and
classify all preamendments devices in
accordance with section 513(b) of the
FD&C Act.
The first BECS 510(k) premarket
notification was cleared by FDA on
August 26, 1996. Information Data
Management, Inc., submitted premarket
notifications for their Components &
Distribution Information System and
Donor Management Information System.
These devices were compared to
systems marketed prior to the 1976
medical device amendments, including
the Blood Inventory Management
System by Computer Sciences
Corporation and the Donor Deferral
Registry developed by the American
National Red Cross. Between 1996 and
December 2015, FDA has cleared 220
BECS and BECS accessories under the
510(k) program.
In 1998, FDA sought
recommendations from the Blood
Product Advisory Committee (BPAC)
serving as a Device Classification Panel
on the classification of BECS. The
Device Classification Panel
recommended regulating BECS as a
class II device with premarket review
(Ref. 1). The classification of BECS was
not finalized following the Device
Classification Panel’s recommendation
in 1998 because of competing priorities.
On December 3, 2014, the BPAC,
serving as a Device Classification Panel
(the Panel), again convened to discuss
the classification of BECS and BECS
accessories (Ref. 2). The Panel discussed
the risks to health associated with BECS
and BECS accessories, the classification
of BECS and BECS accessories, and if
classified as class II devices, the special
controls that would be required for
these devices. The Panel agreed that
general controls were not sufficient to
provide a reasonable assurance of safety
and effectiveness of BECS and BECS
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accessories. The Panel believed that
BECS and BECS accessories presented a
potential unreasonable risk of illness,
injury, or death, and that sufficient
information exists to establish special
controls for these devices.
Consequently, the Panel recommended
that these devices be classified into
class II (special controls) with premarket
review. FDA is not aware of new
information that has arisen since this
Panel meeting that would provide a
basis for different recommendations or
findings. The recommendations of the
Panel are summarized in Section II.
II. Panel Recommendation
This section summarizes the Panel’s
deliberations on December 3, 2014.
A. Identification
FDA proposed the following
definition of BECS and BECS accessory
to the Panel for their consideration:
BECS and BECS accessories are devices
used in the manufacture of blood and
blood components to assist in the
prevention of disease in humans by
identifying unsuitable blood donors by:
(1) Preventing the release of unsuitable
blood and blood components for
transfusion or for further manufacturing
into products for human treatment or
diagnosis; (2) performing compatibility
testing between donor and recipient;
and (3) performing positive
identification of patients and blood
components. A BECS accessory expands
or modifies the function of the BECS
and/or indications for use of the BECS
device. These devices are intended for
use with or capable of functioning with
BECS for the purpose of augmenting or
supplementing the BECS performance.
B. Recommended Classification of the
Panel
The Panel recommended that BECS
and BECS accessories be classified into
class II (special controls) with premarket
review, and that FDA revise the
proposed definition of a BECS
accessory. The consensus of the Panel
was that class II classification (special
controls) and premarket review would
provide reasonable assurance of safety
and effectiveness of these devices and
that there is sufficient information to
establish special controls to provide
such assurance for BECS and BECS
accessories.
The Panel considered the following
valid scientific evidence to make their
recommendations regarding the safety
and effectiveness of the device under its
conditions of use. Specifically, the
Panel considered the history of safety
and effectiveness of BECS and BECS
accessories over many years of use in
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blood establishments; the results of an
FDA review of the scientific literature;
medical device reports (MDRs) of
adverse events or malfunctions; device
recalls; and a summary of FDA’s
extensive inspectional and regulatory
experiences with BECS and BECS
accessories.
The Panel also commented on the
proposed definition of BECS
accessories: ‘‘A BECS accessory expands
or modifies the function of the BECS
and/or indications for use of the BECS
device.’’ These devices are intended for
use with or capable of functioning with
BECS for the purpose of augmenting or
supplementing the BECS performance.
The Panel recommended that FDA
clarify which added functionalities
would be considered a BECS accessory
and, therefore, subject to regulations as
a class II device with special controls.
C. Risks to Health and Special Controls
As required by section 513(f)(1)(A) of
the FD&C Act, FDA provided to the
Panel the following summary of valid
scientific evidence regarding the
benefits and risks of BECS and BECS
accessories. In the 1990s, during
establishment inspections, FDA
investigators observed numerous
problems with BECS, including software
programs that posed significant risks to
health, such as the potential for release
for transfusion of blood and blood
components found to be reactive when
tested with assays for Human
Immunodeficiency Virus. During the
inspections, FDA found that unsuitable
blood and blood components had been
released and distributed as a result of
improperly designed software.
From 1996 to 2014, FDA received 201
MDRs for BECS and BECS accessories.
The majority (86 percent) of the MDRs
were for device malfunctions. In
addition, one death and nine injuries
were reported. The reported patient
death was not attributed to the BECS.
The information provided in the reports
of the nine injuries was insufficient to
accurately identify the nature of the
injuries or the attribution to BECS. The
remaining reports included events
classified in various categories such as
user error, operational problems, and
labeling.
Similarly, from 2006 to 2013, BECS
manufacturers initiated 56 voluntary
device recalls. The deviations included
programming errors, inadequate design
requirements, and incorrect
implementation of the design. The
potential consequences of the BECS
deviations included presenting donors
with incorrect donor history
questionnaires, failing to save certain
test results in donor records, and failing
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to identify donors as deferred. The
recalls were classified as class II and
class III. A class II recall is a situation
in which use of or exposure to a
violative product may cause temporary
or medically reversible adverse health
consequences or where the probability
of serious adverse health consequences
is remote. A class III recall is a situation
in which use of or exposure to a
violative product is not likely to cause
adverse health consequences. No recalls
were classified as class I, a situation in
which there is reasonable probability
that the use of or exposure to a violative
product will cause serious adverse
health consequences or death.
FDA presented the following risks to
health associated with BECS and BECS
accessories: (1) Transfusion reaction or
death from the inadvertent release and
transfusion of incompatible blood or
blood components; (2) transfusion
injury from the transfusion of
inaccurately labeled and/or stored blood
components; (3) transfusion injury or
death from the release of blood
components from otherwise ineligible
donors (for example, the transmission of
infectious diseases from the inadvertent
release of blood components that have
tested positive for transfusiontransmitted disease agents); and (4)
donor injury from inappropriate or
excessive donation of blood or blood
components.
FDA also proposed the measures
described in table 1 to mitigate the risks
to health associated with BECS and
BECS accessories. The Panel agreed that
the risks to health and mitigation
measures identified by FDA and
summarized in table 1 are applicable to
BECS and BECS accessories.
FDA next presented the following
special controls for the Panel’s
considerations: (1) Software
performance and functional
requirements are provided in the
premarket submission including
detailed design specifications (e.g.,
algorithms or control characteristics,
alarms, device limitations, and safety
requirements); (2) verification and
validation testing and hazard analysis
are to be performed and provided in the
premarket submission; (3) labeling
includes software limitations,
unresolved anomalies, annotated with
an explanation of the impact on safety
or effectiveness, revision history, and
hardware and peripheral specifications;
(4) traceability matrix performed and
provided in the premarket submission;
and (5) performance testing is
performed and provided in the
premarket submission, as necessary to
ensure the safety and effectiveness of
the system, and when adding new
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functional requirements, (e.g., electrical
safety, electromagnetic compatibility, or
wireless coexistence).
The Panel members generally agreed
with the special controls proposed by
FDA. One Panel member commented
that requiring the performance of
verification and validation and hazard
analysis is not sufficient without
defining what type of testing is
necessary, and expressed particular
concern regarding the acceptable level
of verification for BECS. Another
member asked whether many of the
proposed special controls should be
considered general controls for the
purposes of software manufacturing
considering the evolution of technology.
TABLE 1—HEALTH RISKS AND MITIGATION MEASURES FOR BECS AND
BECS ACCESSORIES
Identified risks to
health
Transfusion reaction
or death.
Transmission of infectious disease.
Donor health risk from
too frequent or inappropriate donation.
Mitigation measures
Performance and
functional requirements.
Performance and
testing.
Labeling.
III. Proposed Classification and FDA’s
Findings
After considering the
recommendations of the Panel and the
valid scientific evidence, including the
published literature, MDRs, recall
information, and FDA’s extensive
inspection and regulatory experiences
with these device types (Ref. 3), FDA
proposes to classify BECS and BECS
accessories into class II (special
controls) with premarket review. FDA
believes general controls by themselves
are insufficient to provide reasonable
assurance of safety and effectiveness for
these devices and that there is sufficient
information to establish special controls
to provide such assurance. FDA believes
that special controls, in addition to
general controls, would provide a
reasonable assurance of the safety and
effectiveness of BECS and BECS
accessories and would, therefore,
mitigate the risk to patients of
transfusion reaction or death and
transmission of infectious disease and
risks to donors because of inappropriate
donations.
The special controls proposed for
BECS and BECS accessories, specifically
performance and functional
requirements, device verification and
validation, hazards analysis,
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traceability, and performance testing,
collectively ensure that the
manufacturer performs and documents
the activities necessary to decrease the
risk of malfunction that could result in
the adverse events noted above. Further,
appropriate labeling ensures that the
user of the device is provided clear
instructions for use, including the
limitations of the device, to reduce the
risk of user error that could result in the
risks to health associated with these
devices.
FDA has amended the proposed
definition of BECS accessories
consistent with the recommendation of
the Panel and made other minor edits to
the definition of BECS and the special
controls presented to the Panel in the
proposed regulation.
Section 510(m) of the FD&C Act
provides that a class II device may be
exempted from the premarket
notification requirements under section
510(k) of the FD&C Act, if the Agency
determines that premarket notification
is not necessary to assure the safety and
effectiveness of the device. The Agency
does not intend to exempt BECS and
BECS accessories from 510(k) premarket
notification as allowed under section
510(m) of the FD&C Act. FDA believes
premarket notification is necessary for
these devices to assure their safety and
effectiveness.
IV. Proposed Effective Date
FDA proposes that any final
regulation based on this proposal
become effective 30 days after its date
of publication in the Federal Register.
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V. Environmental Impact
We have 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.
VI. Analysis of Impacts
We have examined the impacts of the
proposed rule under Executive Order
12866, Executive Order 13563, the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C.
601–612), and the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–4).
Executive Orders 12866 and 13563
direct us to assess all costs and benefits
of available regulatory alternatives and,
when regulation is necessary, to select
regulatory approaches that maximize
net benefits (including potential
economic, environmental, public health
and safety, and other advantages;
distributive impacts; and equity). We
believe that this proposed rule is not a
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significant regulatory action as defined
by Executive Order 12866.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act
requires Agencies to analyze regulatory
options that would minimize any
significant impact of a rule on small
entities. Because the proposed
regulation is consistent with historical
regulatory oversight given to this type of
device, we propose to certify that the
proposed rule will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities.
The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
of 1995 (section 202(a)) requires us to
prepare a written statement, which
includes an assessment of anticipated
costs and benefits, before proposing
‘‘any rule that includes any Federal
mandate that may result in the
expenditure by State, local, and tribal
governments, in the aggregate, or by the
private sector, of $100,000,000 or more
(adjusted annually for inflation) in any
one year.’’ The current threshold after
adjustment for inflation is $144 million,
using the most current (2014) Implicit
Price Deflator for the Gross Domestic
Product. This proposed rule would not
result in an expenditure in any year that
meets or exceeds this amount.
This rule proposes to classify BECS
and BECS accessories into Class II
devices with special controls and
subject to premarket review. The
proposed special controls for these
devices are necessary to provide a
reasonable assurance of safety and
effectiveness. FDA has cleared 220
BECS and BECS accessories under the
510(k) program consistent with the
recommendations in the FDA guidance,
‘‘Guidance for the Content of Premarket
Submissions for Software Contained in
Medical Devices,’’ dated May 2005 (Ref.
4). As current practice, manufacturers
already conform to the risk mitigations
that are being proposed as special
controls for BECS and BECS accessories,
so this rule would essentially formalize
current practice and will not result in
any additional associated costs.
Likewise, this classification will not
result in any significant changes in how
510(k) premarket notifications for the
affected devices are submitted or
prepared by manufacturers or in how
they are reviewed by FDA. Therefore,
compliance with the special controls
proposed for this device would not
yield significant new costs for affected
manufacturers. Because the
classification of these devices to Class II
(special controls) would not impose
significant new obligations on
manufacturers, the Agency concludes
that the proposed rule, if finalized, will
impose no additional regulatory
burdens.
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VII. Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed rule refers to
previously approved collections of
information that are subject to review by
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501–
3520). The collections of information in
21 CFR part 807 subpart E have been
approved under OMB control number
0910–0120, and the collections of
information in 21 CFR subpart 801 have
been approved under OMB control
number 0910–0485. Therefore, FDA
tentatively concludes that the proposed
requirements in this document are not
subject to review by OMB because they
do not constitute a ‘‘new collection of
information’’ under the PRA.
VIII. References
The following references have been
placed on display in the Division of
Dockets Management (see ADDRESSES)
and may be seen by interested persons
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday; they are also available
electronically at https://
www.regulations.gov. FDA has verified
the Web site addresses, as of the date
this document publishes in the Federal
Register, but Web sites are subject to
change over time.
1. Blood Product Advisory Committee
Meeting transcript—March 20, 1998
(https://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/
98/transcpt/3391t2.pdf).
2. Blood Product Advisory Committee
Meeting transcript—December 3, 2014
(https://www.fda.gov/
AdvisoryCommittees/
CommitteesMeetingMaterials/
BloodVaccinesandOtherBiologics/
BloodProductsAdvisoryCommittee/
ucm386681.htm).
3. FDA Executive Summary. Blood Products
Advisory Committee Meeting—
December 3, 2014 (https://www.fda.gov/
AdvisoryCommittees/
CommitteesMeetingMaterials/
BloodVaccinesandOtherBiologics/
BloodProductsAdvisoryCommittee/
ucm427392.htm).
4. Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff:
Guidance for the Content of Premarket
Submissions for Software Contained in
Medical Devices, May 2005, https://
www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/
deviceregulationandguidance/
guidancedocuments/ucm089543.htm.
List of Subjects in 21 CFR Part 864
Blood, Medical devices, Packaging
and containers.
Therefore, under the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act and under
authority delegated to the Commissioner
of Food and Drugs, FDA proposes to
amend part 864 as follows:
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PART 864—HEMATOLOGY AND
PATHOLOGY DEVICES
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
1. The authority citation for 21 CFR
part 864 continues to read as follows:
Coast Guard
■
Authority: 21 U.S.C. 351, 360, 360c, 360e,
360j, 371.
33 CFR Part 100
[Docket Number USCG–2016–0134]
■
RIN 1625–AA08
§ 864.9165 Blood establishment computer
software and accessories.
Special Local Regulations; Fajardo
Offshore Challenge; Rada Fajardo;
Fajardo, Puerto Rico
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
2. In subpart J, add § 864.9165 to read
as follows:
(a) Identification. Blood establishment
computer software (BECS) and BECS
accessories are devices used in the
manufacture of blood and blood
components to assist in the prevention
of disease in humans by identifying
ineligible donors, by preventing the
release of unsuitable blood and blood
components for transfusion or for
further manufacturing into products for
human treatment or diagnosis, by
performing compatibility testing
between donor and recipient, or by
performing positive identification of
patients and blood components at the
point of transfusion to prevent
transfusion reactions. A BECS accessory
is intended for use with BECS to
augment its performance or to expand or
modify its indications for use.
(b) Classification—Class II (special
controls). The special controls for these
devices are:
(1) Software performance and
functional requirements including
detailed design specifications (e.g.,
algorithms or control characteristics,
alarms, device limitations, and safety
requirements).
(2) Verification and validation testing
and hazard analysis must be performed.
(3) Labeling must include:
(i) Software limitations;
(ii) Unresolved anomalies, annotated
with an explanation of the impact on
safety or effectiveness;
(iii) Revision history; and
(iv) Hardware and peripheral
specifications.
(4) Traceability matrix must be
performed.
(5) Performance testing to ensure the
safety and effectiveness of the system
must be performed, including when
adding new functional requirements
(e.g., electrical safety, electromagnetic
compatibility, or wireless coexistence).
Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of proposed rulemaking.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Coast Guard is proposing
to establish a special local regulation on
the waters of Rada Fajardo in Fajardo,
Puerto Rico during the Fajardo Offshore
Challenge, a high speed boat race. The
event is scheduled to take place on
Sunday, April 4, 2016. Approximately
30 high-speed power boats will be
participating in the races. The special
local regulation is necessary for the
safety of the race participants,
participant vessels, and the general
public during the event. The special
local regulation would establish the
following two areas: one race area,
where all persons and vessels, except
those persons and vessels participating
in the high-speed boat races, are
prohibited from entering, transiting
through, anchoring in, or remaining
within; and a buffer zone around the
race area, where all persons and vessels,
except those persons and vessels
enforcing the buffer zone, are prohibited
from entering, transiting through,
anchoring in, or remaining within
unless authorized by the Captain of the
Port San Juan or a designated
representative. We invite your
comments on this proposed rulemaking.
DATES: Comments and related material
must be received by the Coast Guard on
or before March 21, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by docket number USCG–
2016–0134 using the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov. See the ‘‘Public
Participation and Request for
Comments’’ portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for
further instructions on submitting
comments.
SUMMARY:
[FR Doc. 2016–04411 Filed 2–29–16; 8:45 am]
If
you have questions about this proposed
rulemaking, call or email Mr. Efrain
Lopez, Sector San Juan Prevention
Department, Coast Guard; telephone
(787) 289–2097, email efrain.lopez1@
uscg.mil.
BILLING CODE 4164–01–P
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dated: February 24, 2016.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:05 Feb 29, 2016
Jkt 238001
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
10557
I. Table of Abbreviations
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking
U.S.C. United States Code
II. Background, Purpose, and Legal
Basis
On April 4, 2016, Puerto Rico
Offshore Series, Inc. is sponsoring the
Fajardo Offshore Challenge, a series of
high-speed boat races. The races will be
held on the waters of Rada Fajardo in
Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Approximately 30
high-speed power boats and PWCs will
be participating in the races.
The purpose of this proposed
rulemaking is to ensure the safety of
vessels and the navigable waters within
the regulated areas before, during, and
after the scheduled event. The Coast
Guard proposes this rulemaking under
authority in 33 U.S.C. 1231.
III. Discussion of Proposed Rule
The special local regulation
encompass certain waters of Rada
Fajardo in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The
proposed special local regulation would
be enforced from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on
April 4, 2016. The special local
regulation consist of the following two
areas: (1) A race area, where all persons
and vessels, except those persons and
vessels participating in the high-speed
boat races, are prohibited from entering,
transiting through, anchoring in, or
remaining within; and (2) a buffer zone
around the race area, where all persons
and vessels, except those persons and
vessels enforcing the buffer zone, are
prohibited from entering, transiting
through, anchoring in, or remaining
within unless authorized by the Captain
of the Port San Juan or a designated
representative. Persons and vessels may
request authorization to enter, transit
through, anchor in, or remain within the
race area or buffer zone by contacting
the Captain of the Port San Juan by
telephone at (787) 289–2041, or a
designated representative via VHF radio
on channel 16. If authorization to enter,
transit through, anchor in, or remain
within the race area or buffer zone is
granted by the Captain of the Port San
Juan or a designated representative, all
persons and vessels receiving such
authorization must comply with the
instructions of the Captain of the Port
San Juan or a designated representative.
The Coast Guard will provide notice of
the special local regulation by Local
Notice to Mariners, Broadcast Notice to
Mariners, and on-scene designated
representatives.
E:\FR\FM\01MRP1.SGM
01MRP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10553-10557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04411]
[[Page 10553]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
21 CFR Part 864
[Docket No. FDA-2016-N-0406]
Medical Devices; Hematology and Pathology Devices; Classification
of Blood Establishment Computer Software and Accessories
AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, Agency, or we) is
proposing to classify the blood establishment computer software (BECS)
and BECS accessories into class II (special controls). FDA is
identifying proposed special controls for BECS and BECS accessories
that are necessary to provide a reasonable assurance of safety and
effectiveness. FDA is also giving notice that the Agency does not
intend to exempt BECS and BECS accessories from premarket notification
requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C
Act). FDA is publishing in this document the recommendations of the
Blood Product Advisory Committee regarding the classification of these
devices. After considering public comments on the proposed
classification, FDA will publish a final regulation classifying these
device types.
DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments by May 31, 2016.
Please see section IV of this document for the proposed effective date
of a final rule that may issue based on this proposal.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 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): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
For written/paper comments submitted to the Division of
Dockets Management, 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-2016-N-0406 for ``Medical Devices; Hematology and Pathology
Devices; Classification of Blood Establishment Computer Software and
Accessories.'' 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 Division of Dockets
Management between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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 Division of Dockets Management. 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.gpo.gov/fdsys/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 Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers
Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica T. Walker, Center for
Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903
New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 7301, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002,
240-402-7911.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
A. Statutory and Regulatory Authorities
The FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), as amended by the Medical
Device Amendments of 1976, establishes a comprehensive system for the
regulation of medical devices intended for human use. Section 513 of
the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 360c) establishes three categories (classes) of
devices depending on the regulatory controls needed to provide
reasonable assurance of their safety and effectiveness. The three
categories of devices are class I (general controls), class II (special
controls), and class III (premarket approval).
Class I devices are those devices for which the general controls of
the FD&C Act (controls authorized by or under sections 501, 502, 510,
516, 518, 519, or 520 or any combination of such sections) are
sufficient to provide reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness;
or those devices for which insufficient information exists to determine
that general controls are sufficient to provide reasonable assurance of
safety and effectiveness or to establish special controls to provide
such assurance, but because the devices are not purported or
represented to be for a use in supporting or sustaining human life or
for a use which is of substantial importance in preventing impairment
of human health, and do not present a potential unreasonable risk of
illness or injury, are to be
[[Page 10554]]
regulated by general controls (section 513(a)(1)(A) of the FD&C Act).
Class II devices are those devices for which general controls by
themselves are insufficient to provide reasonable assurance of safety
and effectiveness, but for which there is sufficient information to
establish special controls to provide such assurance, including the
issue of performance standards, postmarket surveillance, patient
registries, development and dissemination of guidelines,
recommendations, and other appropriate actions the Agency deems
necessary to provide such assurance (section 513(a)(1)(B) of the FD&C
Act). Class III devices are those devices for which insufficient
information exists to determine that general controls and special
controls would provide a reasonable assurance of safety and
effectiveness, and are purported or represented for a use in supporting
or sustaining human life or for a use which is of substantial
importance in preventing impairment of human health, or present a
potential unreasonable risk of illness or injury (section 513(a)(1)(C)
of the FD&C Act).
Under section 513(d)(1) of the FD&C Act, devices that were in
commercial distribution before the enactment of the Medical Device
Amendments of 1976 (1976 amendments), May 28, 1976 (generally referred
to as ``preamendments devices''), are classified after FDA: (1)
Receives a recommendation from a device classification panel (an FDA
advisory committee); (2) publishes the panel's recommendation for
comment, along with a proposed regulation classifying the device; and
(3) publishes a final regulation classifying the device.
FDA has classified most preamendments devices under these
procedures, relying upon valid scientific evidence as described in
section 513(a)(3) of the FD&C Act and 21 CFR 860.7(c), to determine
that there is reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of a
device under its conditions of use.
Devices that were not in commercial distribution before May 28,
1976 (generally referred to as ``postamendments devices''), are
classified automatically by section 513(f) of the FD&C Act into class
III without any FDA rulemaking process. Those devices remain in class
III and require premarket approval, unless and until: (1) FDA
classifies or reclassifies the device into class I or II or (2) FDA
issues an order finding the device to be substantially equivalent, in
accordance with section 513(i) of the FD&C Act, to a predicate device
that does not require premarket approval.
The Agency determines whether new devices are substantially
equivalent to previously marketed devices by means of premarket
notification procedures in section 510(k) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C.
360(k)) and part 807 of the regulations (21 CFR part 807).
A person may market a preamendments device that has been classified
into class III through premarket notification procedures without
submission of a premarket approval application (PMA) until FDA issues a
final order under section 515(b) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 360e(b))
requiring premarket approval.
B. Regulatory History of the Devices
After the enactment of the 1976 amendments, FDA began to identify
and classify all preamendments devices in accordance with section
513(b) of the FD&C Act.
The first BECS 510(k) premarket notification was cleared by FDA on
August 26, 1996. Information Data Management, Inc., submitted premarket
notifications for their Components & Distribution Information System
and Donor Management Information System. These devices were compared to
systems marketed prior to the 1976 medical device amendments, including
the Blood Inventory Management System by Computer Sciences Corporation
and the Donor Deferral Registry developed by the American National Red
Cross. Between 1996 and December 2015, FDA has cleared 220 BECS and
BECS accessories under the 510(k) program.
In 1998, FDA sought recommendations from the Blood Product Advisory
Committee (BPAC) serving as a Device Classification Panel on the
classification of BECS. The Device Classification Panel recommended
regulating BECS as a class II device with premarket review (Ref. 1).
The classification of BECS was not finalized following the Device
Classification Panel's recommendation in 1998 because of competing
priorities.
On December 3, 2014, the BPAC, serving as a Device Classification
Panel (the Panel), again convened to discuss the classification of BECS
and BECS accessories (Ref. 2). The Panel discussed the risks to health
associated with BECS and BECS accessories, the classification of BECS
and BECS accessories, and if classified as class II devices, the
special controls that would be required for these devices. The Panel
agreed that general controls were not sufficient to provide a
reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of BECS and BECS
accessories. The Panel believed that BECS and BECS accessories
presented a potential unreasonable risk of illness, injury, or death,
and that sufficient information exists to establish special controls
for these devices. Consequently, the Panel recommended that these
devices be classified into class II (special controls) with premarket
review. FDA is not aware of new information that has arisen since this
Panel meeting that would provide a basis for different recommendations
or findings. The recommendations of the Panel are summarized in Section
II.
II. Panel Recommendation
This section summarizes the Panel's deliberations on December 3,
2014.
A. Identification
FDA proposed the following definition of BECS and BECS accessory to
the Panel for their consideration: BECS and BECS accessories are
devices used in the manufacture of blood and blood components to assist
in the prevention of disease in humans by identifying unsuitable blood
donors by: (1) Preventing the release of unsuitable blood and blood
components for transfusion or for further manufacturing into products
for human treatment or diagnosis; (2) performing compatibility testing
between donor and recipient; and (3) performing positive identification
of patients and blood components. A BECS accessory expands or modifies
the function of the BECS and/or indications for use of the BECS device.
These devices are intended for use with or capable of functioning with
BECS for the purpose of augmenting or supplementing the BECS
performance.
B. Recommended Classification of the Panel
The Panel recommended that BECS and BECS accessories be classified
into class II (special controls) with premarket review, and that FDA
revise the proposed definition of a BECS accessory. The consensus of
the Panel was that class II classification (special controls) and
premarket review would provide reasonable assurance of safety and
effectiveness of these devices and that there is sufficient information
to establish special controls to provide such assurance for BECS and
BECS accessories.
The Panel considered the following valid scientific evidence to
make their recommendations regarding the safety and effectiveness of
the device under its conditions of use. Specifically, the Panel
considered the history of safety and effectiveness of BECS and BECS
accessories over many years of use in
[[Page 10555]]
blood establishments; the results of an FDA review of the scientific
literature; medical device reports (MDRs) of adverse events or
malfunctions; device recalls; and a summary of FDA's extensive
inspectional and regulatory experiences with BECS and BECS accessories.
The Panel also commented on the proposed definition of BECS
accessories: ``A BECS accessory expands or modifies the function of the
BECS and/or indications for use of the BECS device.'' These devices are
intended for use with or capable of functioning with BECS for the
purpose of augmenting or supplementing the BECS performance. The Panel
recommended that FDA clarify which added functionalities would be
considered a BECS accessory and, therefore, subject to regulations as a
class II device with special controls.
C. Risks to Health and Special Controls
As required by section 513(f)(1)(A) of the FD&C Act, FDA provided
to the Panel the following summary of valid scientific evidence
regarding the benefits and risks of BECS and BECS accessories. In the
1990s, during establishment inspections, FDA investigators observed
numerous problems with BECS, including software programs that posed
significant risks to health, such as the potential for release for
transfusion of blood and blood components found to be reactive when
tested with assays for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. During the
inspections, FDA found that unsuitable blood and blood components had
been released and distributed as a result of improperly designed
software.
From 1996 to 2014, FDA received 201 MDRs for BECS and BECS
accessories. The majority (86 percent) of the MDRs were for device
malfunctions. In addition, one death and nine injuries were reported.
The reported patient death was not attributed to the BECS. The
information provided in the reports of the nine injuries was
insufficient to accurately identify the nature of the injuries or the
attribution to BECS. The remaining reports included events classified
in various categories such as user error, operational problems, and
labeling.
Similarly, from 2006 to 2013, BECS manufacturers initiated 56
voluntary device recalls. The deviations included programming errors,
inadequate design requirements, and incorrect implementation of the
design. The potential consequences of the BECS deviations included
presenting donors with incorrect donor history questionnaires, failing
to save certain test results in donor records, and failing to identify
donors as deferred. The recalls were classified as class II and class
III. A class II recall is a situation in which use of or exposure to a
violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse
health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health
consequences is remote. A class III recall is a situation in which use
of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse
health consequences. No recalls were classified as class I, a situation
in which there is reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to
a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or
death.
FDA presented the following risks to health associated with BECS
and BECS accessories: (1) Transfusion reaction or death from the
inadvertent release and transfusion of incompatible blood or blood
components; (2) transfusion injury from the transfusion of inaccurately
labeled and/or stored blood components; (3) transfusion injury or death
from the release of blood components from otherwise ineligible donors
(for example, the transmission of infectious diseases from the
inadvertent release of blood components that have tested positive for
transfusion-transmitted disease agents); and (4) donor injury from
inappropriate or excessive donation of blood or blood components.
FDA also proposed the measures described in table 1 to mitigate the
risks to health associated with BECS and BECS accessories. The Panel
agreed that the risks to health and mitigation measures identified by
FDA and summarized in table 1 are applicable to BECS and BECS
accessories.
FDA next presented the following special controls for the Panel's
considerations: (1) Software performance and functional requirements
are provided in the premarket submission including detailed design
specifications (e.g., algorithms or control characteristics, alarms,
device limitations, and safety requirements); (2) verification and
validation testing and hazard analysis are to be performed and provided
in the premarket submission; (3) labeling includes software
limitations, unresolved anomalies, annotated with an explanation of the
impact on safety or effectiveness, revision history, and hardware and
peripheral specifications; (4) traceability matrix performed and
provided in the premarket submission; and (5) performance testing is
performed and provided in the premarket submission, as necessary to
ensure the safety and effectiveness of the system, and when adding new
functional requirements, (e.g., electrical safety, electromagnetic
compatibility, or wireless coexistence).
The Panel members generally agreed with the special controls
proposed by FDA. One Panel member commented that requiring the
performance of verification and validation and hazard analysis is not
sufficient without defining what type of testing is necessary, and
expressed particular concern regarding the acceptable level of
verification for BECS. Another member asked whether many of the
proposed special controls should be considered general controls for the
purposes of software manufacturing considering the evolution of
technology.
Table 1--Health Risks and Mitigation Measures for BECS and BECS
Accessories
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Identified risks to health Mitigation measures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transfusion reaction or death............. Performance and functional
requirements.
Transmission of infectious disease........ Performance and testing.
Donor health risk from too frequent or Labeling.
inappropriate donation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. Proposed Classification and FDA's Findings
After considering the recommendations of the Panel and the valid
scientific evidence, including the published literature, MDRs, recall
information, and FDA's extensive inspection and regulatory experiences
with these device types (Ref. 3), FDA proposes to classify BECS and
BECS accessories into class II (special controls) with premarket
review. FDA believes general controls by themselves are insufficient to
provide reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness for these
devices and that there is sufficient information to establish special
controls to provide such assurance. FDA believes that special controls,
in addition to general controls, would provide a reasonable assurance
of the safety and effectiveness of BECS and BECS accessories and would,
therefore, mitigate the risk to patients of transfusion reaction or
death and transmission of infectious disease and risks to donors
because of inappropriate donations.
The special controls proposed for BECS and BECS accessories,
specifically performance and functional requirements, device
verification and validation, hazards analysis,
[[Page 10556]]
traceability, and performance testing, collectively ensure that the
manufacturer performs and documents the activities necessary to
decrease the risk of malfunction that could result in the adverse
events noted above. Further, appropriate labeling ensures that the user
of the device is provided clear instructions for use, including the
limitations of the device, to reduce the risk of user error that could
result in the risks to health associated with these devices.
FDA has amended the proposed definition of BECS accessories
consistent with the recommendation of the Panel and made other minor
edits to the definition of BECS and the special controls presented to
the Panel in the proposed regulation.
Section 510(m) of the FD&C Act provides that a class II device may
be exempted from the premarket notification requirements under section
510(k) of the FD&C Act, if the Agency determines that premarket
notification is not necessary to assure the safety and effectiveness of
the device. The Agency does not intend to exempt BECS and BECS
accessories from 510(k) premarket notification as allowed under section
510(m) of the FD&C Act. FDA believes premarket notification is
necessary for these devices to assure their safety and effectiveness.
IV. Proposed Effective Date
FDA proposes that any final regulation based on this proposal
become effective 30 days after its date of publication in the Federal
Register.
V. Environmental Impact
We have 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.
VI. Analysis of Impacts
We have examined the impacts of the proposed rule under Executive
Order 12866, Executive Order 13563, the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601-612), and the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L.
104-4). Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 direct us to assess all costs
and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, when regulation
is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize net
benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public health
and safety, and other advantages; distributive impacts; and equity). We
believe that this proposed rule is not a significant regulatory action
as defined by Executive Order 12866.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires Agencies to analyze
regulatory options that would minimize any significant impact of a rule
on small entities. Because the proposed regulation is consistent with
historical regulatory oversight given to this type of device, we
propose to certify that the proposed rule will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (section 202(a)) requires
us to prepare a written statement, which includes an assessment of
anticipated costs and benefits, before proposing ``any rule that
includes any Federal mandate that may result in the expenditure by
State, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the
private sector, of $100,000,000 or more (adjusted annually for
inflation) in any one year.'' The current threshold after adjustment
for inflation is $144 million, using the most current (2014) Implicit
Price Deflator for the Gross Domestic Product. This proposed rule would
not result in an expenditure in any year that meets or exceeds this
amount.
This rule proposes to classify BECS and BECS accessories into Class
II devices with special controls and subject to premarket review. The
proposed special controls for these devices are necessary to provide a
reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness. FDA has cleared 220
BECS and BECS accessories under the 510(k) program consistent with the
recommendations in the FDA guidance, ``Guidance for the Content of
Premarket Submissions for Software Contained in Medical Devices,''
dated May 2005 (Ref. 4). As current practice, manufacturers already
conform to the risk mitigations that are being proposed as special
controls for BECS and BECS accessories, so this rule would essentially
formalize current practice and will not result in any additional
associated costs. Likewise, this classification will not result in any
significant changes in how 510(k) premarket notifications for the
affected devices are submitted or prepared by manufacturers or in how
they are reviewed by FDA. Therefore, compliance with the special
controls proposed for this device would not yield significant new costs
for affected manufacturers. Because the classification of these devices
to Class II (special controls) would not impose significant new
obligations on manufacturers, the Agency concludes that the proposed
rule, if finalized, will impose no additional regulatory burdens.
VII. Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed rule refers to previously approved collections of
information that are subject to review by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C.
3501-3520). The collections of information in 21 CFR part 807 subpart E
have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0120, and the
collections of information in 21 CFR subpart 801 have been approved
under OMB control number 0910-0485. Therefore, FDA tentatively
concludes that the proposed requirements in this document are not
subject to review by OMB because they do not constitute a ``new
collection of information'' under the PRA.
VIII. References
The following references have been placed on display in the
Division of Dockets Management (see ADDRESSES) and may be seen by
interested persons between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday;
they are also available electronically at https://www.regulations.gov.
FDA has verified the Web site addresses, as of the date this document
publishes in the Federal Register, but Web sites are subject to change
over time.
1. Blood Product Advisory Committee Meeting transcript--March 20,
1998 (https://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/98/transcpt/3391t2.pdf).
2. Blood Product Advisory Committee Meeting transcript--December 3,
2014 (https://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/BloodVaccinesandOtherBiologics/BloodProductsAdvisoryCommittee/ucm386681.htm).
3. FDA Executive Summary. Blood Products Advisory Committee
Meeting--December 3, 2014 (https://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/BloodVaccinesandOtherBiologics/BloodProductsAdvisoryCommittee/ucm427392.htm).
4. Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff: Guidance for the Content of
Premarket Submissions for Software Contained in Medical Devices, May
2005, https://www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/deviceregulationandguidance/guidancedocuments/ucm089543.htm.
List of Subjects in 21 CFR Part 864
Blood, Medical devices, Packaging and containers.
Therefore, under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and under
authority delegated to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, FDA proposes
to amend part 864 as follows:
[[Page 10557]]
PART 864--HEMATOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY DEVICES
0
1. The authority citation for 21 CFR part 864 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 21 U.S.C. 351, 360, 360c, 360e, 360j, 371.
0
2. In subpart J, add Sec. 864.9165 to read as follows:
Sec. 864.9165 Blood establishment computer software and accessories.
(a) Identification. Blood establishment computer software (BECS)
and BECS accessories are devices used in the manufacture of blood and
blood components to assist in the prevention of disease in humans by
identifying ineligible donors, by preventing the release of unsuitable
blood and blood components for transfusion or for further manufacturing
into products for human treatment or diagnosis, by performing
compatibility testing between donor and recipient, or by performing
positive identification of patients and blood components at the point
of transfusion to prevent transfusion reactions. A BECS accessory is
intended for use with BECS to augment its performance or to expand or
modify its indications for use.
(b) Classification--Class II (special controls). The special
controls for these devices are:
(1) Software performance and functional requirements including
detailed design specifications (e.g., algorithms or control
characteristics, alarms, device limitations, and safety requirements).
(2) Verification and validation testing and hazard analysis must be
performed.
(3) Labeling must include:
(i) Software limitations;
(ii) Unresolved anomalies, annotated with an explanation of the
impact on safety or effectiveness;
(iii) Revision history; and
(iv) Hardware and peripheral specifications.
(4) Traceability matrix must be performed.
(5) Performance testing to ensure the safety and effectiveness of
the system must be performed, including when adding new functional
requirements (e.g., electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility,
or wireless coexistence).
Dated: February 24, 2016.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016-04411 Filed 2-29-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P