Overview

Types of Medical Devices

Medical devices are classified based on the risk to the human body in the event of malfunction. In Japan, they are classified into four levels from Class I to IV, and in the US FDA, into three levels from Class I to III.

Medical Devices Healthcare Medical Classification
code slug name description
Class I general-medical-devices General Medical Devices (Class I) Devices with extremely low risk to the human body even if a malfunction occurs
Class II controlled-medical-devices Controlled Medical Devices (Class II) Devices with relatively low risk to the human body if a malfunction occurs
Class III specially-controlled-medical-devices-high Specially Controlled Medical Devices (Class III) Devices with relatively high risk to the human body if a malfunction occurs
Class IV specially-controlled-medical-devices-life-threatening Specially Controlled Medical Devices (Class IV) High-risk devices directly linked to the patient's life

Types of medical devices based on risk classification