Rechargeable Power Energy North America, LLC
Product: Medical Device
Date: 5/9/19
CMS Number: 570911
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an inspection of your firm’s medical device operations, Rechargeable Power Energy North America, LLC located in Las Vegas, Nevada, from November 5 – 9, 2018. During the inspection, an FDA investigator determined that your firm is a medical device manufacturer (i.e. Contract Manufacturer) of Class III Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Battery, intended to replace the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) battery used in (b)(4) automated external defibrillators. Under section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), 21 U.S.C. § 321(h), these products are devices because they are intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or to affect the structure or any function of the body.
Observations Pertaining to Quality System Regulation Provisions and Regulations
This inspection revealed your devices are adulterated within the meaning of section 501(h) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 351(h), in that the methods used in, or the facilities or controls used for, their manufacture, packing, storage, or installation are not in conformity with the current good manufacturing practice requirements of the Quality System regulation found at Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 820. We received your response dated December 14, 2018, concerning our investigator’s observations noted on the Form FDA 483, List of Inspectional Observations (FDA 483) that was issued on November 9, 2018. We address the response below, in relation to each of the noted observations. These violations include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Failure to validate with a high degree of assurance, a process whose results cannot be fully verified by subsequent inspection and test, as required by 21 CFR 820.75(a).
During the inspection we observed your battery testing and calibration equipment used on the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Battery has not been validated to demonstrate the results are repeatable for every battery tested and calibrated. For example:
a. Your firm was unable to demonstrate that the process used for finished product functional testing of the (b)(4) Automated External Defibrillator Battery (part number (b)(4)) has been validated.
b. Also, your Operations Manager stated the testing equipment communicates the results to a computer and the computer calibrates each battery during installation on the customer’s defibrillator to read it as a new unused battery, has not been validated. Your firm has developed a Validation Procedure (SOP 11, Rev. 1), however this procedure has not been executed to validate the production equipment.
We reviewed your firm’s response and conclude it is not adequate. You indicated an independent review will be conducted, and a (b)(4) test will be performed to validate the batteries shelf-life. This proposed correction does not address the observation and the proposed timeline is unacceptable. While we agree the shelf-life of your batteries should be verified through appropriate design testing; this does demonstrate your battery testing process is validated as required by 21 CFR 820.75. In response to this Warning Letter, you should provide your plans to ensure that your production equipment (battery testing and calibration equipment) is undergoing appropriate equipment and software validation. FDA issued a Final Order: Effective Date of Requirement for Premarket Approval for Automated External Defibrillator Systems; Republication on February 3, 2015, which represents a tailored approach to help manufacturers assure the quality and reliability of AEDs (AED system consists of an AED device, battery, pad electrode, and if applicable, an adapter).
Issuing Office: Division of Medical Device and Radiological Health Operations West (MDRHW)