The FDA’s Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories (OSEL) works to promote the innovation and development of new lifesaving medical devices. Their goal is to use the latest science to expedite the development of medical devices. The FDA would like to bring awareness to the 20 research programs that are in place for the advancement of physical, life, and engineering sciences. A list of the programs can be viewed in the OSEL section of the FDA website.
Another useful program is the Office of Science and Engineering Laboratory’s Catalog of Regulatory Science Tools, where a variety of regulatory science tools is collated as they become available. OSEL updates this list with articles and references in order to facilitate the development and assessment of emerging technologies. They do not replace relevant standards, but are intended to serve as helpful tools . The catalog can be viewed in the OSEL section of the FDA website.
The FDA also just launched an online Biocompatibility Resource Center that includes step-by-step recommendations compiled from existing FDA guidance for use while preparing medical device submissions for the FDA. This looks to be a helpful resource that should prove helpful to medical device companies. It can be found in the Premarket submissions section of the FDA website.
Read our post on risk analysis of tools: Risk Analysis/FMEA/FTA software tools