1. Medtech Insight
  2. >>Policy & Regulation
  3. >>Regulation

FDA Panel Says More Research Needed To Fight Heater-Cooler Infections

The Circulatory System Devices advisory panel generally recommends more frequent cleaning of the devices used to support open-chest surgery and, in the long term, it tasks manufacturers with redesigning them so they are easier to clean and disinfect.

More research is needed before FDA can recommend specific best practices or device design changes to stop the transmission of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) via the heater-cooler units used to regulate patient body temperature during open-chest surgery. Until then, health-care facilities should clean the devices’ water tanks more regularly and more thoroughly, the agency’s Circulatory System Devices Panel concluded after a two-day meeting held on June 2 and 3.

The meeting was convened in the wake of European research showing patient deaths tied to infections spread by the heater-coolers and an FDA safety alert that said similar infections have...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Medtech Insight for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Regulation

EU Finalizes Framework For Joint Clinical Assessments Of High-Risk Devices

 
• By Amanda Maxwell

Second submission window for joint scientific consultations on a procedure to help prepare for joint clinical assessments will open from 2 to 30 June 2025.

UK Take Care! Regulatory And Market Access Reforms Must Not Shut Out Medtech Growth

 
• By Ashley Yeo

Speakers at a recent UK medtech outlook conference voiced optimism about the sector’s prospects, but warned that cost burdens, over-regulation and lengthy processes will impede the capacity of local SMEs to innovate. Only 10% of NHS procured medtech comes from UK manufacturers.

Zika Virus Test Among 4 New FDA Device Classifications

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

The FDA plans to announce class II status for four new device types, including tests for the Zika virus and genetic condition Fragile X. This follows earlier announcements and highlights a trend toward diagnostic classifications. The classifications are considered deregulatory, meaning they will hel

Industry Execs Talk Tariff Turbulence During MD&M East

 
• By Brian Bossetta

During MD&M East in Manhattan last week, a panel of experts discussed how the Trump administration’s trade policy is affecting manufacturing and offered some ideas on what manufacturers can do to help mitigate the chaos.

More from Policy & Regulation

FDA Draft Guidance Introduces Electric Submission For Q-Sub Process

 
• By Brian Bossetta

The US FDA says its updated draft guidance represents one of several steps the agency is taking to develop electronic submission templates for the medical device industry. The document introduces stakeholders to currently available resources for supporting their pre-subs to the agency.

Industry Execs Talk Tariff Turbulence During MD&M East

 
• By Brian Bossetta

During MD&M East in Manhattan last week, a panel of experts discussed how the Trump administration’s trade policy is affecting manufacturing and offered some ideas on what manufacturers can do to help mitigate the chaos.

Commission’s Flora Giorgio Says Simplification And Safety Are Key In Evolving EU Regs

 
• By Amanda Maxwell

Predictability, proportionality, stability, harmonization and simplification offer the right way forward to address the challenging unintended effects of the EU medical device regulations, the European Commission’s head of devices tells the EU’s largest annual medtech conference.