ISO 13485

ISO 13485 is an ISO standard, published in 2003, that represents the requirements for a comprehensive management system for the design and manufacture of medical devices. This standard supersedes earlier documents such as EN 46001 and

EN 46002 (both 1997), the ISO 13485 published in 1996 and ISO 13488. While it remains a stand-alone document, ISO 13485 is generally harmonized with ISO 9001. A fundamental difference, however, is that ISO 9001 requires the organization to demonstrate continuous improvement, whereas ISO 13485 requires only that they demonstrate the quality system is implemented and maintained.

Other specific differences include:

The promotion and awareness of regulatory requirements as a management responsibility. An example of market specific regulatory requirements is 21 CFR 820 Quality System Regulation for Medical Devices sold in the United States.

controls in the work environment to ensure product safety
focus on risk management activities and design transfer    activities during product    development
Specific requirements for documentation and validation of    processes for sterile medical    devices
Specific requirements for verification of the effectiveness of    corrective and preventive    actions