2016-09140. Technical Performance Assessment of Digital Pathology Whole Slide Imaging Devices; Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice of availability.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of a guidance entitled “Technical Performance Assessment of Digital Pathology Whole Slide Imaging Devices.” This guidance provides industry and Agency staff with recommendations regarding the technical performance assessment data for the evaluation of a digital whole slide imaging (WSI) system. The guidance provides suggestions on how to best characterize the technical aspects that are relevant to WSI performance for their intended use and determine any possible limitations that might affect their safety and effectiveness.

DATES:

Submit either electronic or written comments on this guidance at any time. General comments on Agency guidance documents are welcome at any time.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments as follows:

Electronic Submissions

Submit electronic comments in the following way:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted electronically, including attachments, to http://www.regulations.gov will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your comment will be made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment does not include any confidential information that you or a third party may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in the body of your comments, that information will be posted on http://www.regulations.gov.
• If you want to submit a comment with confidential information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner detailed (see “Written/Paper Submissions” and “Instructions”).

Written/Paper Submissions

Submit written/paper submissions as follows:

• Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for written/paper submissions): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
• For written/paper comments submitted to the Division of Dockets Management, FDA will post your comment, as well as any attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, as confidential, if submitted as detailed in “Instructions.”

Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. FDA-2015-D-0230 for “Technical Performance Assessment of Digital Pathology Whole Slide Imaging Devices; Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff.” Received comments will be placed in the docket and, except for those submitted as “Confidential Submissions,” publicly viewable at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Division of Dockets Management between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

• Confidential Submissions—To submit a comment with confidential information that you do not wish to be made publicly available, submit your comments only as a written/paper submission. You should submit two copies total. One copy will include the information you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover note that states “THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.” The Agency will review this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in its consideration of comments. The second copy, which will have the claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, will be available for public viewing and posted on http://www.regulations.gov. Submit both copies to the Division of Dockets Management. If you do not wish your name and contact information to be made publicly available, you can provide this information on the cover sheet and not in the body of your comments and you must identify this information as “confidential.” Any information marked as “confidential” will not be disclosed except in accordance with 21 CFR 10.20 and other applicable disclosure law. For more information about FDA's posting of comments to public dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 18, 2015, or access the information at: http://www.fda.gov/​regulatoryinformation/​dockets/​default.htm.

Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, found in brackets in the heading of this document, into the “Search” box and follow the prompts and/or go to the Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

An electronic copy of the guidance document is available for download from the Internet. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for information on electronic access to the guidance. Submit written requests for a single hard copy of the guidance document entitled “Technical Performance Assessment of Digital Pathology Whole Slide Imaging Devices” to the Office of the Center Director, Guidance and Policy Development, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 5431, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist that office in processing your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nicholas Anderson, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 5662, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-796-4310; or Aldo Badano, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 62, Rm. 3116, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-796-2534.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Recent technological advances in digital microscopy, in particular the development of whole slide scanning systems, have accelerated the adoption of digital imaging in pathology, similar to the digital transformation that radiology departments have experienced over the last decade. FDA regulates WSI system manufacturers to help ensure that the images produced for intended clinical uses are safe and effective for such purposes. Essential to the regulation of these systems is the understanding of the technical performance of the WSI system and the components in the imaging chain—from image acquisition to image display, and their effect on pathologist's diagnostic performance and workflow.

This guidance provides industry and Agency staff with recommendations regarding the technical performance assessment for regulatory evaluation of a digital WSI system. This document does not cover the clinical submission data that may be necessary to support approval or clearance. The guidance provides suggestions on how to best characterize the technical aspects that are relevant to WSI performance for their intended use and determine any possible limitations that might affect their safety and effectiveness.

In the Federal Register of February 25, 2015 (80 FR 10122), FDA announced the availability of the draft guidance and interested persons were invited to comment by May 25, 2015.

II. Significance of Guidance

This guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The guidance represents the current thinking of FDA on technical performance assessment of digital pathology whole slide imaging devices. It does not establish any rights for any person and is not binding on FDA or the public. You can use an alternative approach if it satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes and regulations.

III. Electronic Access

Persons interested in obtaining a copy of the guidance may do so by downloading an electronic copy from the Internet. A search capability for all Center for Devices and Radiological Health guidance documents is available at http://www.fda.gov/​MedicalDevices/​DeviceRegulationandGuidance/​GuidanceDocuments/​default.htm. Guidance documents are also available at http://www.regulations.gov. Persons unable to download an electronic copy of “Technical Performance Assessment of Digital Pathology Whole Slide Imaging Devices” may send an email request to [e-mail] to receive an electronic copy of the document. Please use the document number 1400053 to identify the guidance you are requesting.

IV. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

This guidance refers to previously approved collections of information found in FDA regulations. These collections of information are subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The collections of information in 21 CFR part 807, subpart E (premarket notification) have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0120; the collections of information in 21 CFR part 814 (premarket approval) have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0231; and the collections of information in 21 CFR part 801 and 21 CFR 809.10 (labeling) have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0485.

Dated: April 13, 2016.

Leslie Kux,

Associate Commissioner for Policy.