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Regulation (EU) 2017/746 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Regulation (EU) 2017/746 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices and repealing Directive 98/79/EC and Commission Decision 2010/227/EU (Text with EEA relevance)

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1.Definitions

Automatic identification and data capture (‘AIDC’)

AIDC is a technology used to automatically capture data. AIDC technologies include bar codes, smart cards, biometrics and RFID.

Basic UDI-DI

The Basic UDI-DI is the primary identifier of a device model. It is the DI assigned at the level of the device unit of use. It is the main key for records in the UDI database and is referenced in relevant certificates and EU declarations of conformity.

Unit of Use DI

The Unit of Use DI serves to associate the use of a device with a patient in instances in which a UDI is not labelled on the individual device at the level of its unit of use, for example in the event of several units of the same device being packaged together.

Configurable device

A configurable device is a device that consists of several components which can be assembled by the manufacturer in multiple configurations. Those individual components may be devices in themselves.

Configuration

Configuration is a combination of items of equipment, as specified by the manufacturer, that operate together as a device to achieve an intended purpose. The combination of items may be modified, adjusted or customised to meet specific needs.

UDI-DI

The UDI-DI is a unique numeric or alphanumeric code specific to a model of device and that is also used as the ‘access key’ to information stored in a UDI database.

Human Readable Interpretation (HRI)

HRI is a legible interpretation of the data characters encoded in the UDI carrier.

Packaging levels

Packaging levels means the various levels of device packaging that contain a fixed quantity of devices, such as a carton or case.

Production Identifier (UDI-PI)

The UDI-PI is a numeric or alphanumeric code that identifies the unit of device production.

The different types of UDI-PI(s) include serial number, lot number, software identification and manufacturing or expiry date or both types of date.

Radio Frequency Identification (‘RFID’)

RFID is a technology that uses communication through the use of radio waves to exchange data between a reader and an electronic tag attached to an object, for the purpose of identification.

Shipping containers

A shipping container is a container in relation to which traceability is controlled by a process specific to logistics systems.

Unique Device Identifier (‘UDI’)

The UDI is a series of numeric or alphanumeric characters that is created through a globally accepted device identification and coding standard. It allows the unambiguous identification of a specific device on the market. The UDI is comprised of the UDI-DI and the UDI-PI.

The word ‘Unique’ does not imply serialisation of individual production units.

UDI carrier

The UDI carrier is the means of conveying the UDI by using AIDC and, if applicable, its HRI.

UDI carriers include, inter alia, ID/linear bar code, 2D/Matrix bar code, RFID.

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