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by Des O'Brien (Author)
This short book is a starting point to introduce Design control, risk management and regulatory impact and application of Medical Device Directive MDR 2017/745 or to give its full name- Regulation (Eu) 2017/745 Of The European Parliament And Of The Council of 5 April 2017 on medical devices, amending Directive 2001/83/EC, Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and repealing Council Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC.The importance of design controls manifests itself in the potential impact of device quality and safety for the public or patient in need of medical devices or therapeutic devices. The benefits of well executed design controls support a device and product development lifecycle that ensures the intended use is met and verified during the product development process and beyond. Best practice and compliant application of design controls depends on input definition, appropriate review of inputs and a continuous verification and validation to provide outputs. Design Control regulations ensure that good quality management (QM) practices are used for the design of medical devices and products remain fit for purpose and appropriate to the intended use. Adding to the design control requirements for manufacturers is the science of risk management applied to devices and products across the lifecycle of each product.Risk needs to be a continuous consideration and is not just a static or once off activity. The approach to risk must be suitable for the device in question. A Risk plan should lay out the approach, requirements and techniques used to assess risk and complete risk analysis. Any risks that remain must have a clinical benefit and must be managed ensuring residual risks are as low as possible. Therefore, an integrated approach to design, risk management and manufacturing creates a template for safe and effective products. Recent regulatory requirements that will shape the future of medical device regulation have gained increasing importance. Such regulation is the Medical device regulation prescribed by the European Union, MDR 2017/745 and associated amendments. These requirements shape the manner of an organizations management of risk and the safety of users. Any risk assessments depend on the design features of a device, and how well they are implemented, verified and validated. Only a well-planned and well-maintained quality management system, cognizant of regulation, design management and risk management will achieve compliance and success.
