Medical Device Accessories-Describing Accessories and Classification Pathway for New Accessory Types; Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of the guidance entitled ``Medical Device Accessories-- Describing Accessories and Classification Pathways for New Accessory Types.'' This document provides guidance to industry and FDA staff about the regulation of accessories to medical devices. The guidance explains what devices FDA generally considers an ``accessory'' and encourages use of the de novo classification process under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) to allow manufacturers and other parties to request risk- and regulatory control-based classification of accessories of a new type (i.e., accessories of a type that has not been previously classified under the FD&C Act, cleared for marketing under a 510(k) submission, or approved in an application for premarket approval (PMA)).