The safePICO Arterial Blood Sampler is a preheparinized, electrolyte balanced, arterial blood sampler for collection of arterial samples for pH, blood gas, oximetry, electrolyte, and metabolite analyses. The safePICO is a vented sampler for sample volumes in the range from 0.7 to 1.5 mL. The safePICO includes a vented tip cap allowing the sampler to be vented after the appliance of the tip cap and may include a needle shield device to prevent a user from accidental needle stick.
Device Story
Manual arterial blood sampler; collects 0.7-1.5 mL arterial blood. Features: graduated plastic barrel, plunger, dry electrolyte-balanced lithium/sodium heparin, internal magnetic steel ball for mixing, vented tip cap for air venting, optional needle shield. Used by clinicians for arterial puncture. Input: arterial blood; Output: blood sample in sealed, vented syringe. Sample processed on ABL800 FLEX or ABL900 FLEX analyzers. Needle shield provides sharps injury prevention; shield activation force tested to ensure irreversibility. Benefits: standardized sample collection, reduced needle stick risk, improved sample mixing, and integrated venting.
Clinical Evidence
Simulated-use study (n=52 healthcare providers, 501 tests) compared safePICO to predicate. Primary endpoint: needle stick injuries (0 injuries observed). Secondary endpoints: successful shield activation, tip cap retention, and ease of use. Bench testing confirmed equivalent analyte recovery (pH, pO2, pCO2, electrolytes, metabolites, hemoglobin, bilirubin) compared to predicate on ABL800 FLEX analyzers. Mechanical testing verified shield activation forces and vented tip cap pressure specifications.
Technological Characteristics
Pre-heparinized, electrolyte-balanced piston syringe. Materials: plastic barrel/plunger, magnetic steel ball. Sterilization: Ethylene oxide (ISO/CD 11135:2001, EN550:1994) to SAL 10^-6. Features: vented tip cap, optional needle shield, barcode label. Connectivity: barcode readable by ABL800 FLEX analyzer. Dimensions: various needle gauges (22G, 23G) and lengths (16mm, 25mm, 32mm).
Indications for Use
Indicated for collection of arterial blood samples for pH, blood gas, oximetry, electrolyte, and metabolite analysis in patients requiring arterial blood gas monitoring.
Regulatory Classification
Identification
A blood specimen collection device is a device intended for medical purposes to collect and to handle blood specimens and to separate serum from nonserum (cellular) components prior to further testing. This generic type device may include blood collection tubes, vials, systems, serum separators, blood collection trays, or vacuum sample tubes.
Predicate Devices
PICO Arterial Blood Sampler (k962158)
PRO-VENT with NEEDLE-PRO (k011925)
Submission Summary (Full Text)
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# 510(k) SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENCE DETERMINATION DECISION SUMMARY ASSAY AND INSTRUMENT COMBINATION TEMPLATE
A. 510(k) Number:
k043143
B. Purpose for Submission:
Additional features added to previously marketed device.
C. Measurand:
Device to collect for arterial blood gases
D. Type of Test:
Piston syringe (vented arterial blood sampler)
E. Applicant:
Radiometer Medical ApS
F. Proprietary and Established Names:
safePICO Arterial Blood Sampler
G. Regulatory Information:
1. Regulation section:
21 CFR§862.1675, Blood Collection Device
21 CFR§880.5860, Piston Syringe
2. Classification:
Class II (performance standards)
3. Product code:
JKA, MEG
4. Panel:
Clinical Chemistry (75)
H. Intended Use:
1. Intended use(s):
See the indications for use below.
2. Indication(s) for use:
"The safePICO Arterial Blood Sampler is a preheparinized, electrolyte balanced, arterial blood sampler for collection of arterial samples for pH, blood gas, oximetry, electrolyte, and metabolite analyses. The safePICO is a vented sampler for sample volumes in the range from 0.7 to 1.5 mL. The safePICO includes a vented tip cap allowing the sampler to be vented after the appliance of the tip cap and may include a needle shield device to prevent a user from accidental needle stick."
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3. Special conditions for use statement(s):
None.
4. Special instrument requirements:
The device can be used as a stand-alone device, although it is an integral part of the ABL900 FLEX Blood Gas Analyzer with FLEXQ module.
I. Device Description:
The safePICO consists of a graduated plastic sample barrel coded with a unique barcode and a plunger. Within the sampler barrel is a soft, coated magnetic steel ball for mixing the sample before measurement and dry electrolyte-balanced lithium/sodium heparin. The sampler includes a vented tip cap that allows the sampler to be vented after the appliance of the tip cap to the male connector of the sampler. The safePICO may be delivered with a conventional PVC needle cube or with a transparent plastic needle shield device connected to the needle. The needle shield consists of two axially aligned plastic tubes, each with a slit where a tab from the other may slide. Activating the thumb grip on the inner tube causes the inner tube to slide along inside the outer tube and to cover the needle point by at least 8 mm.
J. Substantial Equivalence Information:
1. Predicate device name(s):
PICO Arterial Blood Sampler
PRO-VENT with NEEDLE-PRO
2. Predicate 510(k) number(s):
k962158
k011925
3. Comparison with predicate:
The barrel and plunger of the safePICO Arterial Blood Sampler is identical to the PICO70 Arterial Blood Sampler (k962158). Both sterile syringes have the same intended use, sample for the same analytes, have the same materials composition, and contain dried balanced heparin. The safePICO adds a coated soft metal ball for mixing the sample before analysis, a pre-printed unique barcode for sample identification, a new tip cap that allows venting of the sample, and an optional protective needle shield.
K. Standard/Guidance Document Referenced (if applicable):
| Area of Study | Reference Procedure | Procedure Title |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Guidance | Sharps Injury Prevention Procedure | CDRH: Supplementary Guidance on Premarket Notifications for Medical Devices with Sharps Injury Prevention Features; Guidance for Industry and FDA |
| EO Sterilization | EN 550:1994 | Sterilization of medical devices - Validation and routine control of ethylene oxide sterilization |
| Validation of Sterilization | ISO/CD 11135: 2001 | Sterilization of health care products - Requirements of development, validation and routine control of a sterilization process for medical devices - Ethylene oxide |
| | EN 550:1994 | Sterilization of medical devices - Validation and routine control of ethylene oxide sterilization, B.3.4.4, |
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| Area of Study | Reference Procedure | Procedure Title |
| --- | --- | --- |
| | | Method C, Half-cycle method |
| EO Residuals | ISO10993-7:1995, # 4.3.3 | Interference Testing in Clinical Chemistry |
| Sterilization Assurance Level (SAL) | EN 556-1:2001 | Sterilisation of medical devices – Requirements for medical devices to be designated 'Sterile' - Part 1: Requirements for terminally sterilised medical devices |
| Sample Storage | NCCLS, H11-A4, Vol. 24 No. 28 | Procedures for the Collection of Arterial Blood Specimens; Approved Standard - Fourth Edition, Section 6.6.2 Samples for Blood Gas and pH Analysis, Subsection 6.6.2.1 Prompt Analysis (within 30 minutes of collection) |
| Statistical Analysis of Use Study | Agresti A (2002) Categorical Data Analysis, 2^{nd} edition, Wiley: New York. | Categorical Data Analysis |
| | Diggle PJ, Zeger SL, Liang K-Y (1994) Analysis of longitudinal data, Oxford University Press: New York. | Generalized Estimating Equations ("GEE") |
| | Zeger SL, Liang KY (1986). Biometrics. Vol. 42, pp. 121-130. | Longitudinal data analysis for discrete and continuous outcomes. |
L. Test Principle:
The device is an accessory for collecting arterial blood samples. The volume drawn is pre-set by moving the plunger to the appropriate volume before puncture.
M. Performance Characteristics (if/when applicable):
1. Analytical performance:
a. Precision/Reproducibility:
Not applicable.
b. Linearity/assay reportable range:
Not applicable.
c. Traceability, Stability, Expected values (controls, calibrators, or methods):
The safePICO sampler has an estimated shelf life of 24 months (if the packaging is not compromised) based on the performance of the predicate PICO70 which has the same barrel and syringe. Real-time shelf-life studies are ongoing.
d. Detection limit:
Not applicable.
e. Analytical specificity:
Not applicable.
f. Assay cut-off:
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Not applicable.
## 2. Comparison studies:
a. Method comparison with predicate device:
A study was designed to demonstrate equivalent recovery of the intended analytes (shown in the table below) between the safePICO and the predicate PICO70 samplers. Five stock solutions with various concentrations and components were prepared in freshly drawn and centrifuged blood; another six stock solutions were made from mixtures of the original five samples. Solutions were intended to cover the analytical range of the analytes. Stock solutions were stored on ice for 20 to 30 minutes before testing. Samplers were filled from a parent syringe intended to simulate a patient draw then measured on ABL800 FLEX analyzers. Measurements were performed on three analyzers, and the experiment was repeated over three days. The discrepancy in the number of samples for each analyte is due to discarding some data points when they were found to be clearly erroneous, and some samples could not be analyzed. All measured analytes showed equivalent recovery to the predicate:
Comparison of Analyte Recovery: safePICO vs. Predicate
| Analyte | n = | Slope | Intercept | r = |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| pH | 65 | 0.999 | 0.009 | 0.9996 |
| pO2 | 59 | 0.985 | 1.028 | 0.9996 |
| pCO2 | 65 | 0.995 | 0.199 | 0.9996 |
| Chloride | 65 | 0.999 | 0.122 | 0.9992 |
| Calcium | 64 | 0.997 | 0.002 | 0.9999 |
| Potassium | 59 | 1.004 | -0.010 | 0.9998 |
| Sodium | 65 | 0.999 | 0.163 | 0.9998 |
| Glucose | 59 | 1.004 | -0.026 | 0.9996 |
| Lactate | 65 | 0.995 | 0.017 | 0.9975 |
| Hemoglobin (total) | 65 | 0.998 | 0.343 | 0.9998 |
| O2 Saturation (sO2) | 59 | 0.9995 | 0.083 | 0.9998 |
| Total Bilirubin | 45 | 0.9977 | -0.225 | 0.9998 |
b. Matrix comparison:
Not applicable. This device is only intended for use with arterial blood samples.
## 3. Clinical studies:
A simulated-use study was performed in two hospitals in Denmark, comparing the performance of the safePICO and a predicate with similar safety features. Healthcare providers (n=52) experienced with arterial punctures performed multiple arterial punctures on a test fixture that simulates arterial filling of the samplers. Genders, handedness, various ages, and levels of experience were represented in the participants. Up to 10 of each kind of sampler were tested by each participant for a total of 501 tests of the safePICO and 498 tests of the predicate. The primary endpoint of the study was the number of needle stick injuries;
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having no needle stick injuries was considered a successful endpoint. Secondary endpoints were successful activation of the needle shield and successful retention of the vented tip cap on the sampler during venting. Performance data was collected using a questionnaire with several parts. Objective questions were answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer and are summarized below:
Summary of Objective Performance Evaluations: safePICO vs. Predicate
| | Number of counts (%) responding ‘yes’ to question | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Evaluation Criteria | safePICO | Predicate |
| NO Needle Stick Injury? | 493/493 (100%) | 496/496 (100%) |
| Safety shield activated successfully? | 472/496 (95%) | 494/497 (99%) |
| Retention of vented tip cap? | 477/493 (97%) | 481/496 (97%) |
| Able to remove needle sheath? | 496/499 (99%) | 179/498 (36%) |
| Able to complete ‘arterial’ sample collection? | 496/499 (99%) | 483/495 (98%) |
| Able to remove shielded needle and cover? | 490/492 (99.6%) | 495/497 (99.6%) |
Participants were asked to respond to a series of subjective, graded questions and subjective ‘yes or no’ questions to compare the performance of the two samplers. Answers were: ‘very easy’, ‘easy’, ‘difficult’, and ‘very difficult’. The percentage of respondents that answered ‘very easy’ or ‘easy’ or ‘yes’ for each of the questions is shown in the next table:
Summary of Subjective Performance Criteria by Study Participants: safePICO vs. predicate
| | | Percentage of Respondents Answering ‘Very Easy’, ‘Easy’, or ‘Yes’ | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Item | Evaluation Criteria | safePICO | Predicate |
| 1 | Activating the needle shield was: | 69% | 96% |
| 2 | Hearing the click when the needle shield was activated was: | 99% | 98% |
| 3 | Knowing the needle shield was locked in place was: | 98% | 96% |
| 4 | Removing the shielded needle from the sampler was: | 100% | 94% |
| 5 | Placing the vented tip cap was: | 96% | 96% |
| 6 | Purging the air from the sampler was: | 98% | 96% |
| 7 | Overall, using this product was: | 100% | 62% |
| 8 | Compared to my current sampler, using this device was: | 90% | 56% |
| 9 | Instructions for use provide enough | 94% | 88% |
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| | | Percentage of Respondents Answering ‘Very Easy’, ‘Easy’, or ‘Yes’ | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Item | Evaluation Criteria | safePICO | Predicate |
| | training to use sampler: | | |
| 10 | I was able to perform the arterial stick without changing my technique: | 94% | 78% |
| 11 | This device was as easy to use as a non-safety device: | 94% | 39% |
| | Items 1- 7 were graded from ‘very easy’ to ‘very hard’ | | |
| | Items 8 – 11 were answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’ | | |
Thus, the safePICO met the primary and secondary testing objectives; there were no needle stick injuries in the ~500 safePICO samplers tested.
a. Clinical Sensitivity: Not applicable.
b. Clinical specificity: Not applicable.
c. Other clinical supportive data (when a. and b. are not applicable):
4. Clinical cut-off: Not applicable.
5. Expected values/Reference range: Not applicable.
N. Instrument Name: safePICO Arterial Blood Sampler
O. System Descriptions:
1. Modes of Operation: Manual
2. Software: Not applicable.
3. Specimen Identification: Specimen can be identified by a unique barcode on the barrel of the syringe.
4. Specimen Sampling and Handling: Instructions for use suggest that the arterial blood sample by stored at room temperature and analyzed within 30 minutes.
5. Calibration: Not applicable.
6. Quality Control: Sterility
P. Other Supportive Instrument Performance Characteristics Data Not Covered In the "Performance Characteristics" Section above:
Safety features on sharps should be essentially irreversible. In other words, the force needed to 'unlock' the safety feature should be much greater than the force needed to activate it. The
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force needed during different phases of protective shield activation was tested on five hundred shields using an approved tensile testing bench and is summarized below:
Force required for initiating the protective shield during different parts of activation:
| | Mean Force (Newton) |
| --- | --- |
| Starting movement of inner tube past the first retaining lock: | 3.27 |
| Force to move shield between the locks: | 1.26 |
| Force to lock shield over the needle: | 8.86 |
| Force to unlock the shield (lock on outer tube breaks): | 97.97 |
The specifications of the Vented Tip Cap (VTC) and the results of the laboratory performance testing are shown in the table below:
Vented Tip Cap Requirement Testing
| Requirement | Specification | Test Result |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ventilate sample foam w/o VTC closing too soon | Must be able to ventilate 100 uL foam | Acceptable |
| Air must flow through the VTC at 0.5 bar | >100 mL/sec air through the filter | Acceptable |
| Max. holding pressure of the VTC before ABL800 Flex analysis | >10 bar in 5 sec. | Acceptable |
| Max. holding pressure of the VTC after ABL800 Flex analysis | 20 mbar | Acceptable |
| Penetration force of ABL800 Flex Inlet Probe | <2.5 N | 1.9 |
| Penetration friction of ABL800 Flex Inlet Probe | <2 N | 0.8 |
Risk analysis and mitigation results were presented and reviewed.
The device is sterilized with ethylene oxide (EO) gas according to EN 550:1994. The sterilization assurance level (SAL) is ≤ 1×10⁻⁶ according to EN 556-1:2001.
Q. Proposed Labeling:
The labeling is sufficient and it satisfies the requirements of 21 CFR Part 809.10.
R. Conclusion:
The submitted information in this premarket notification is complete and supports a substantial equivalence decision.
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1. Search: exact and fuzzy
Type a phrase like "coronary artery calcification" into the search box. You get two kinds of results. Exact results match the literal phrase — prefix searches work ("coronary artery calcificati") but suffix searches do not. Fuzzy results match on the meaning and intent of your phrase rather than the exact words, and are sorted by relevance score. Hover over the Exact or Fuzzy badge on any row to see exactly why it matched.
Use the checkboxes above the results to narrow: SaMD keeps only software-only devices, AI / ML keeps only devices with AI.
Exact vs. fuzzy search: what's the difference?
Exact matches on the literal phrase (prefix search works, suffix does not). Fuzzy matches on the meaning and intent of the phrase rather than the exact words. Hover over the badge on any row to see why it matched.
You search "coronary artery calcification" and want only software devices with AI. What two filters do you apply?
Narrow by SaMD (software-only devices), then narrow by AI/ML (devices with AI).
2. The results table
Scroll right in the results table. The intended use is extracted for you — no need to open the PDF. The device story gives a high-level snapshot of what the device does and how it's used. The AI Performance sub-table shows each output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, and development/test dataset descriptions — the same format Innolitics uses for regulatory strategy outputs, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. It is AI-generated but has been very reliable in practice.
Where do you find a device's intended use without opening the PDF?
Scroll right in the search results table. The intended use column is extracted for you; no need to dig into the 510(k) summary PDF.
What does the AI Performance sub-table show, and why is it useful?
Output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, development dataset description, and test dataset description. It's the same format we use for regulatory strategy output and Fast 510(k) input, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. AI-generated but reliable in practice.
3. Judging fuzzy relevance
Fuzzy results trail off in relevance as you scroll. Use three signals to decide how far down to go: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether your target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, you're past the relevant zone. A top hit with a low score (~0.4) and a stretched explanation is a hint the closest predicates are far away — the project may be headed for De Novo. Note the fuzzy search is a pattern match: it doesn't handle negation ("not") well, and hardware devices can appear — filter by SaMD/AI ML to cut them.
How do you judge how far down fuzzy search results to go?
Use the relevancy signals: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether the target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, results are trailing off in relevancy.
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Reading rule for every project: how many summaries do you read in full?
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Select multiple rows in the results table (aim for under ~10), then open the PDF Viewer tab. Ask one question — it goes to all selected devices in parallel, each with citations. This is the fastest way to compare and contrast devices: training data, PCCP scope, how they handled adding new scanners, and so on.
What does the side-by-side PDF viewer mode do?
Select multiple devices, open the PDF viewer tab, and ask one question (e.g., "Describe the training data"). It queries all selected devices simultaneously with citations, so you can compare and contrast quickly.
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Browse product codes and regulation numbers, read the identification text and special controls, browse sibling product codes, open device PDFs on the right, and search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree.
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Click Show Chart and segment by regulation number (or product code) to see which regulations dominate your result set. Clicking a regulation takes you into the regulations tree. Great for spotting that most matches are, say, hardware laparoscopic devices — a cue to go back and filter.
How do you see which regulations dominate a search result set?
Click "Show Chart" and segment by Regulation Number. Clicking a regulation takes you to the regulations tree.
9. The predicate graph
Open the Predicates tab for a family-tree view of predicate relationships. Click a node to trace its parents and children; selections from search carry over pre-selected. Commonly predicated devices are worth reading — a lot of people predicated them for a reason. The visual lineage is also handy on client calls, e.g. to show how a predicate family evolved and justify why your predicate still holds.
In the predicate graph, why are commonly predicated devices worth reading?
A lot of people predicated them for a reason. Clicking a node traces parents and children, and selections from search carry over pre-selected.
10. Embeddings: the galaxy map
The Embeddings tab plots every matching document in a 2-D "galaxy map" where semantically similar devices cluster together. Hover or click clusters to explore, and let AI label the clusters for you. Embeddings beat product codes for grouping: two devices can carry different product codes (LLZ vs. QIH) yet do the same thing — the embedding captures the meaning of the intended use and device story. This is also exactly how retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) works under the hood, and it makes a great visual on client calls.
Try it yourself
Head to the search page and work through a few of these AI/ML fuzzy searches to build intuition: perivascular fat on CT · aortic valve calcification opportunistic screening on noncontrast CT · breast cancer prediction on digital pathology slides · autism detection · gestational age prediction · a hearing aid that can also detect a pulse · foundation model based analysis of ECG · large language models · penetration test. Watch how the relevance scores, intended use, and AI Performance tables tell you when results stop being meaningful.