Among the alphanumeric soup of industry standards that govern electronic devices and medical products, ISO 13485 is one of the most important standards for medical device designers and manufacturers. This standard defines a broad range of requirements on quality management system (QMS) for medical devices and equipment.
The current version of the ISO 13485 standard is 13485:2016. ISO 13485 is designed to be used by organizations involved in the design, production, installation and servicing of medical devices and related services. It can also be used by internal and external parties, such as certification bodies, to help them with their auditing processes.
The defination of “ISO 13485 Certified” means an organization has implemented an ISO 13485 Quality Management System and has successfully met all of the requirements in ISO 13485. ISO 13485 evaluates whether your Quality Management System is appropriate and effective while emphasizing the safety and efficacy of medical devices.
Adopting ISO 13485 provides a practical foundation for manufacturers to address the EU Medical Device Directive (MDD), the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR), and other regulations, as well as demonstrating a commitment to the safety and quality of medical devices. ISO 13485 was written to support medical device manufacturers in designing quality management systems that establish and maintain the effectiveness of their processes. It ensures the consistent design, development, production, installation, and delivery of medical devices that are safe for their intended purpose.