Clinical evaluation report (CER) for medical devices

Clinical evaluation report (CER) for medical devices Overview

Any device intended to be marketed in the European Union (EU) must bear a CE mark. CER requirements include  process and data requirements for obtaining CE certification of medical devices vary with the class of a device. Low-risk class I devices can carry out CE-Self Certification. In contrast, other classes of devices (IIa, IIb, III) must process the CE mark certification through an accredited Notified Body (NB). The manufacturer must submit CE technical file to NB for evaluation and issuance of CE mark approval and issuance of the CE certificate. The Clinical Evaluation Report (CER) for medical devices is required to be submitted along with the CE Technical File to comply with CE marking requirements.

The Clinical Evaluation Report (CER) for medical devices  is one of the documents that shall be submitted along with the CE Technical File for complying with CER requirements.

What is a Clinical Evaluation Report (CER)?

Clinical evaluation report writing includes the assessment and analysis of clinical data pertaining to a Medical Device to verify its clinical safety and performance. The clinical evaluation of medical devices is based on the comprehensive analysis of pre- and post-market clinical data relevant to the intended use. The Clinical Evaluation Report includes data specific to the device, as well as any data relating to devices claimed as equivalent by the manufacturer. 

A Clinical Evaluation Report (CER) consists of scientific literature and analyzed clinical data that was collected either from a clinical investigation of your device or the results of other studies on substantially equivalent devices. The Clinical Evaluation Report of a medical device demonstrates that the device achieves its intended purpose without exposing users and patients to further risk. 

The Clinical Evaluation Report must be updated every year. In case the device is marketed for a significant period and is well established to be safe with no significant risk, the Clinical Evaluation Report can be updated every 2-5 years. Any design changes made to the device design and any new information from PMS data could trigger an update of the CER Report.

The clinical evaluation of medical devices, as framed in the Clinical Evaluation Report (CER), is based on the factors listed below.

• Scientific literature currently available; and/or
• Clinical investigations made; or
• Whether demonstration of conformity with essential requirements based on clinical data is not deemed appropriate. 

Stages of Clinical Evaluation Report (CER) Writing

Referring to the new EU-Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) – 2017/745, there are four (04) different stages to performing a clinical evaluation of Medical Devices to prepare a comprehensive EU MDR Clinical Evaluation Report (CER).

The Medical Device manufacturers entering the EU market for the first time must ensure that their Clinical Evaluation Report is compliant with the EU MDR regulations.

Freyr caters end-to-end CE Certification Services to device manufacturers, including Clinical Evaluation Report writing in line with the newly implemented EU MDR 2017/745 regulations. With strong EU Medical Devices regional expertise, Freyr caters to agency-wise requisites and customizes the Clinical Evaluation Report accordingly.