Medical Device Product Lifecycle

This book is intended to provide an introduction to the application of a lifecycle approach to product design and development for medical devices. Medical Device Product Lifecycle management provides a framework to develop, design maintain user requirements and ensure the safety and performance of medical devices. Application of a Medical Device Product Lifecycle Management benefits the business aspects of manufacturing, fosters alignment across design and development teams and incorporates the voice of the customer, taking into account their needs and safety that is inherent in the design of products.

The Medical Device Product Lifecycle (MDPL) relies upon several distinct quality management elements and processes in order to function effectively. These include; principles and establishment of a quality management system, regulatory processes, validation processes, engineering processes, change management and risk management processes. The MDPL process itself requires procedures and documentation to facilitate product realization.

For the reader to gain the maximum benefit from this book, the following points should be considered. To begin with-Regulations are mandatory. Medical devices range in their application (intended use and indications), technologies, principles of operation, complexity and value. However, regulation in addition to standards need to be consulted and applied within organizations. The manufacturer has a legal responsibility in this regard and the classification and commercial strategy may require regulations such as FDA 21 CFR 820, (United States), and Medical Device Regulations EU MDR (2017/745) or Regulation 2017/746 on In-Vitro Diagnostic Devices (IVDR) (in Europe).

Introduction
Establishing a Medical Device Product Development Process is necessary to for medical device manufacturers to meet FDA regulations and regional regulations applicable to the products for sale. Beyond the legal stipulation, an additional purpose is to realize and deliver safe and effective medical devices that meet the intended use and user needs which provides medical solutions that enhance and preserve quality of life. To achieve safe and effective products, the guiding principles and techniques not only need to be applied in the design and development stages, but maintaining and monitoring the performance through the product lifecycle is required. It is easily to compartmentalize product performance and safety as a development and design-based activity, however, an effective medical device lifecycle process must ensure design safety and continuity until product retirement and discontinuation.
The introduction of new medical device products or changes to existing medical device products necessitate design and development activities in order to plan and deliver the appropriate verifications and validations to demonstrate safety and performance of products.
Device manufacturers in establishing and applying a Medical Device Product Lifecycle Process must continually ensure the process is fit-for-purpose and that is fulfils its legal and regulatory obligations (e.g. meeting the requirements of 21 CFR 820.30: Medical Devices - Quality System Regulation and ISO 13485: Medical Devices- Quality Management Systems etc.)

A Medical Device Product Lifecycle process must be a comprehensive, end-to-end process that encompasses the entire life cycle of a product from project initiation through to product discontinuation and retirement of a marketed product. Making a comprehensive and detailed process intuitive and easy-to-apply should also play a role in designing and maintaining a MDPL process. Structuring the process into specific stages and the use of design review or gate reviews also provides for a format that has milestones and a stage by stage approach that makes it easier for engineers to work with.