Clinical trials form a critical phase in the development and approval of medical devices. They provide the necessary evidence to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a device before it can be marketed. The United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) sets stringent requirements for conducting clinical trials to ensure that the data collected are reliable and that patient rights are protected.

As stated in the European Union Medical Devices Regulations (EU MDR) 2017/745, clinical investigation, is “any systematic investigation involving one or more human subjects, undertaken to assess the safety or performance of a device” The entire purpose of clinical investigations is to demonstrate that medical devices are safe and effective when used for their intended purpose.