Annex 10 – Conformity assessment based on type examination
EU type-examination is the procedure whereby a notified body ascertains and certifies that a device, including its technical documentation and relevant life cycle processes and a corresponding representative sample of the device production envisaged, fulfils the relevant provisions of this Regulation.
Application
The manufacturer shall lodge an application for assessment with a notified body. The application shall include:
the name of the manufacturer and address of the registered place of business of the manufacturer and, if the application is lodged by the authorised representative, the name of the authorised representative and the address of its registered place of business,
. The applicant shall make a representative sample of the device production envisaged (‘type’) available to the notified body. The notified body may request other samples as necessary, and
a written declaration that no application has been lodged with any other notified body for the same type, or information about any previous application for the same type that was refused by another notified body or was withdrawn by the manufacturer or its authorised representative before that other notified body made its final assessment.
Assessment
The notified body shall:
examine the application by using staff with proven knowledge and experience regarding the technology concerned and its clinical application. The notified body may require the application to be completed by having further tests carried out or requesting further evidence to be provided to allow assessment of conformity with the relevant requirements of this Regulation. The notified body shall carry out adequate physical or laboratory tests in relation to the device or request the manufacturer to carry out such tests;
examine and assess the technical documentation for conformity with the requirements of this Regulation that are applicable to the device and verify that the type has been manufactured in conformity with that documentation; it shall also record the items designed in conformity with the applicable standards referred to in
. The notified body shall employ device reviewers with sufficient clinical expertise and, if necessary, use external clinical experts with direct and current experience relating to the device in question or to the clinical condition in which it is utilised, for the purposes of that review;
in circumstances in which the clinical evidence is based partly or totally on data from devices which are claimed to be similar or equivalent to the device under assessment, assess the suitability of using such data, taking into account factors such as new indications and innovation. The notified body shall clearly document its conclusions on the claimed equivalence, and on the relevance and adequacy of the data for demonstrating conformity;
clearly document the outcome of its assessment in a pre-clinical and clinical evaluation assessment report as part of the EU type examination report referred to in point (i);
carry out or arrange for the appropriate assessments and the physical or laboratory tests necessary to verify whether the solutions adopted by the manufacturer meet the general safety and performance requirements laid down in this Regulation, in the event that the standards referred to in
or the CS have not been applied. Where the device has to be connected to another device or devices in order to operate as intended, proof shall be provided that it conforms to the general safety and performance requirements when connected to any such device or devices having the characteristics specified by the manufacturer;
carry out or arrange for the appropriate assessments and the physical or laboratory tests necessary to verify whether, in the event that the manufacturer has chosen to apply the relevant harmonised standards, those standards have actually been applied;
agree with the applicant on the place where the necessary assessments and tests are to be carried out; and
draw up an EU type-examination report on the results of the assessments and tests carried out under points (a) to (g).
Certificate
If the type conforms to this Regulation, the notified body shall issue an EU type-examination certificate. The certificate shall contain the name and address of the manufacturer, the conclusions of the type examination assessment, the conditions of the certificate’s validity and the data needed for identification of the type approved. The certificate shall be drawn up in accordance with
. The relevant parts of the documentation shall be annexed to the certificate and a copy kept by the notified body.
Changes to the type
5.1. The applicant shall inform the notified body which issued the EU type-examination certificate of any planned change to the approved type or of its intended purpose and conditions of use.
5.2. Changes to the approved device including limitations of its intended purpose and conditions of use shall require approval from the notified body which issued the EU type-examination certificate where such changes may affect conformity with the general safety and performance requirements or with the conditions prescribed for use of the product. The notified body shall examine the planned changes, notify the manufacturer of its decision and provide him with a supplement to the EU type-examination report. The approval of any change to the approved type shall take the form of a supplement to the EU type-examination certificate.
5.3. Changes to the intended purpose and conditions of use of the approved device, with the exception of limitations of the intended purpose and conditions of use, shall necessitate a new application for a conformity assessment.
shall apply with the proviso that any reference to an EU technical documentation assessment certificate shall be understood as a reference to an EU type-examination certificate.
Administrative provisions
The manufacturer or, where the manufacturer does not have a registered place of business in a Member State, its authorised representative shall, for a period ending no sooner than 10 years, and in the case of implantable devices no sooner than 15 years, after the last device has been placed on the market, keep at the disposal of the competent authorities:
the documentation referred to in the second indent of Section 2,
information on the changes referred to in Section 5, and
copies of EU type-examination certificates, scientific opinions and reports and their additions/supplements.
Section 8 of
