MRL Diagnostics' HSV-1 ELISA IgG test is intended for qualitatively detecting the presence or absence of human IgG class antibodies to HSV-1 in human sera. In conjunction with the MRL HSV-2 ELISA IgG, the test is indicated for 1) testing sexually active adults, with or without a clinical history of herpes, for aiding in the presumptive diagnosis of HSV infection to identify persons who are at risk for transmitting or acquiring HSV so they may be counseled, and 2) testing expectant mothers for aiding in the presumptive assessment of the risk for acquiring and/or transmitting HSV to their child, so they may be counseled.
Device Story
HSV-1 ELISA IgG is an in vitro diagnostic assay for qualitative detection of human IgG antibodies to HSV-1 in serum. Polystyrene microwells are coated with recombinant gG-1 antigen; patient serum and controls are incubated in wells. Specific IgG antibodies bind to antigen; nonspecific reactants are washed away. Peroxidase-conjugated anti-human IgG is added, followed by enzyme substrate and chromogen. Color development is stopped and quantified via spectrophotometric optical density (OD) reading. OD is directly proportional to antigen-specific IgG concentration. Results are determined by comparing sample OD to reference cut-off OD. Used in clinical laboratory settings by trained technicians. Output assists clinicians in presumptive diagnosis and risk assessment for HSV transmission, facilitating patient counseling.
Clinical Evidence
Clinical performance evaluated using masked, archived sera from sexually active adults (n=246) and expectant mothers (n=241). Serological truth defined by type-specific Western blot. In sexually active adults, sensitivity was 91.2% (95% CI: 85.2-95.4%) and specificity 92.3% (95% CI: 85.4-96.6%). In expectant mothers, sensitivity was 96.0% (95% CI: 92.0-98.4%) and specificity 95.2% (95% CI: 86.5-99.0%). Additional evaluation included CDC HSV/CMV panel (n=99) and cross-reactivity testing against CMV, EBV, HHV6, and VZV, showing no cross-reactivity.
Technological Characteristics
Polystyrene microwell plate coated with recombinant gG-1 antigen. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) format. Detection via peroxidase-conjugated anti-human IgG and spectrophotometric measurement of optical density. Manual or automated plate reader required. No specific software algorithm class or connectivity described; standalone diagnostic test.
Indications for Use
Indicated for sexually active adults (age >14) and expectant mothers to qualitatively detect human IgG antibodies to HSV-1 in serum. Used to aid in presumptive diagnosis of HSV infection and assessment of risk for transmission/acquisition to counsel patients.
Regulatory Classification
Identification
Herpes simplex virus serological assays are devices that consist of antigens and antisera used in various serological tests to identify antibodies to herpes simplex virus in serum. Additionally, some of the assays consist of herpes simplex virus antisera conjugated with a fluorescent dye (immunofluorescent assays) used to identify herpes simplex virus directly from clinical specimens or tissue culture isolates derived from clinical specimens. The identification aids in the diagnosis of diseases caused by herpes simplex viruses and provides epidemiological information on these diseases. Herpes simplex viral infections range from common and mild lesions of the skin and mucous membranes to a severe form of encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). Neonatal herpes virus infections range from a mild infection to a severe generalized disease with a fatal outcome.
Special Controls
*Classification.* Class II (special controls). The device is classified as class II (special controls). The special control for the device is FDA's revised guidance document entitled “Class II Special Controls Guidance Document: Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 and 2 Serological Assays.” For availability of the guidance revised document, see § 866.1(e).
Predicate Devices
HSV-1 ELISA Test System, Zeus Scientific, Inc.
HSV-1 Western Blot, University of Washington
HSV-1 Culture, University of Washington
Submission Summary (Full Text)
{0}------------------------------------------------
#### 9 2000 FEB
## MRL DIAGNOSTICS
993754
## 510(k) Summary of Safety and Effectiveness (Page 1 of 6)
| Applicant: | MRL Diagnostics<br>a Focus/MRL Inc. Company<br>10703 Progress Way<br>Cypress, California 90630 |
|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Establishment<br>Registration No: | 2023365 |
| Contact Person: | Michael J. Wagner, Esq. |
| Phone: | (714) 220-1900 |
| Telefax: | (714) 220-1182 |
| E-mail: | mwagner@mrlinfo.com |
| Summary Date: | October 31, 1999 |
| Device Name: | HSV-1 ELISA IgG |
| Classification: | Herpes Simplex Virus Serological Reagents<br>21 CFR §866.3305<br>Class III |
| Predicate<br>Device: | 1) HSV-1 ELISA Test System, Zeus Scientific, Inc.<br>2) HSV-1 Western Blot, University of Washington<br>3) HSV-1 Culture, University of Washington |
{1}------------------------------------------------
### 510(k) Summary of Safety and Effectiveness (Page 2 of 6)
- In the MRL Diagnostics HSV-1 ELISA IgG assay, the polystyrene microwells are coated Device with recombinant gG-1 antigen. Diluted serum samples and controls are incubated in the Description: wells to allow specific antibody present in the samples to react with the antigen. Nonspecific reactants are removed by washing, and peroxidase-conjugated anti-human IgG is added and reacts with specific IgG. Excess conjugate is removed by washing. Enzyme substrate and chromogen are added, and the color is allowed to develop. After adding the Stop Reagent, the resultant color change is quantified by a spectrophotometric reading of optical density (OD) which is directly proportional to the amount of antigenspecific IgG present in the sample. Sample optical density readings are compared with reference cut-off OD readings to determine results.
- MRL Diagnostics' HSV-1 ELISA IgG test is intended for qualitatively detecting the Intended Use: presence or absence of human IgG class antibodies to HSV-1 in human sera. In conjunction with the MRL HSV-2 ELISA IgG, the test is indicated for 1) testing sexually active adults, with or without a clinical history of herpes, for aiding in the presumptive diagnosis of HSV infection to identify persons who are at risk for transmitting or acquiring HSV so they may be counseled, and 2) testing expectant mothers for aiding in the presumptive assessment of the risk for acquiring and/or transmitting HSV to their child, so they may be counseled.
{2}------------------------------------------------
### 510(k) Summary of Safety and Effectiveness (Page 3 of 6)
An outside investigator assessed the device with masked, archived and unselected sera Expected from 1) sexually active adults over the age of 14 (n = 246), and 2) from expectant mothers Values: (n = 241). Serological "truth" was defined using a type specific Western blot from a major university located in the Northwestern United States. Excluding four atypical Western blots and three ELISA equivocals, the observed vs expected prevalences and the positive predictive values (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) for the two populations are as follows:
| Population | HSV-1<br>Sero-status | Expected Prevalence | | Observed Prevalence | |
|-------------------------------|----------------------|---------------------|------------|---------------------|--------------|
| | | % | 95% CI | WB | MRL<br>ELISA |
| Sexually<br>Active<br>Adults* | neg | 59.0% | 56.3-61.8% | 55.7% | 54.1% |
| | + | 41.0% | 38.2-43.7% | 42.3% | 43.9% |
| Expectant<br>Mothers** | neg | 65.2% | 64.2-66.2% | 71.0% | 71.8% |
| | + | 34.8% | 33.8-35.8% | 28.6% | 24.5% |
#### Expected vs Observed Prevalence with Sexually Active Adults & Expectant Mothers
* Approximate prevalences for sexually active adult population estimated from unpublished values received from investigator at a major university in the Northwestern United States.
** Approximate prevalences for expected mother population estimated from published values.
#### Predictive Values vs Prevalence with Sexually Active Adults & Expectant Mothers
| Pos<br>Prev | Neg<br>Prev | Sexually Active Adults* | | | | Expectant Mothers** | | | |
|-------------|-------------|-------------------------|--------------|-------|--------------|---------------------|--------------|-------|--------------|
| | | PPV | PPV<br>95%CI | NPV | NPV<br>95%CI | PPV | PPV<br>95%CI | NPV | NPV<br>95%CI |
| 90% | 10% | 99.1% | 98.1-99.6% | 57.1% | 39.4-75.9% | 99.4% | 98.4-99.9% | 68.8% | 41.6-91.7% |
| 80% | 20% | 97.9% | 95.9-99.1% | 75.0% | 59.4-87.7% | 98.8% | 96.5-99.7% | 83.2% | 61.6-96.1% |
| 70% | 30% | 96.5% | 93.2-98.5% | 83.7% | 71.5-92.4% | 97.9% | 94.1-99.6% | 89.5% | 73.3-97.7% |
| 60% | 40% | 94.7% | 89.7-97.7% | 88.9% | 79.6-95.0% | 96.8% | 91.1-99.3% | 93.0% | 81.0-98.5% |
| 50% | 50% | 92.2% | 85.4-96.6% | 92.3% | 85.4-96.6% | 95.2% | 87.2-99.0% | 95.2% | 86.5-99.0% |
| 40% | 60% | 88.8% | 79.6-94.9% | 94.7% | 89.8-97.7% | 93.0% | 82.0-98.5% | 96.7% | 90.6-99.3% |
| 30% | 70% | 83.5% | 71.4-92.3% | 96.5% | 93.2-98.5% | 89.6% | 74.5-97.7% | 97.9% | 93.7-99.6% |
| 20% | 80% | 74.8% | 59.3-87.5% | 98.0% | 95.9-99.1% | 83.3% | 63.0-96.1% | 98.8% | 96.2-99.7% |
| 10% | 90% | 56.8% | 39.3-75.7% | 99.1% | 98.1-99.6% | 69.0% | 43.1-91.6% | 99.4% | 98.3-99.9% |
* MRL HSV-1 ELISA IgG having 91.2% sensitivity & 92.3% specificity with sexually active adults. ** MRL HSV-1 ELISA IgG having 96.0% sensitivity & 95.2% specificity with expectant mothers.
{3}------------------------------------------------
### 510(k) Summary of Safety and Effectiveness (Page 4 of 6)
An outside investigator assessed the device's sensitivity and specificity with masked, Sensitivity and archived and unselected sera from expectant mothers (n = 241). Serological "truth" was Specificity with defined using a type specific Western blot from a major university located in the Expectant Northwestern United States. Excluding one atypical Western blots and one ELISA Mothers equivocal, the results are:
| Attribute | % | Ratio (n/N) | 95% CI |
|----------------------|-------|-------------|------------|
| Sensitivity | 96.0% | 170/177 | 92.0-98.4% |
| Specificity | 95.2% | 59/62 | 86.5-99.0% |
| Pos Predictive Value | 98.3% | 170/173 | 95.0-99.6% |
| Neg Predictive Value | 88.9% | 59/69 | 75.0-92.8% |
#### Sensitivity, Specificity & Predictive Values with Expectant Mothers
Sensitivity. Specificity & Predictive Values with Sexually Active Adults
CDC's
Panel
An outside investigator assessed the device's sensitivity and specificity with masked, archived and unselected sera from sexually active adults over the age of 14 (n = 246). Serological "truth" was defined using a type specific Western blot from a major university located in the Northwestern United States. Excluding three atypical Western blots and two ELISA equivocal, the results are:
#### Sensitivity, Specificity & Predictive Values with Sexually Active Adults
| Attribute | % | Ratio (n/N) | 95% CI | |
|----------------------|-------|-------------|------------|--|
| Sensitivity | 91.2% | 125/137 | 85.2-95.4% | |
| Specificity | 92.3% | 96/104 | 85.4-96.6% | |
| Pos Predictive Value | 94.0% | 125/133 | 88.5-97.4% | |
| Neg Predictive Value | 88.9% | 96/108 | 81.4-94.1% | |
Sensitivity with An outside investigator assessed the device's sensitivity using sera from culture positive patients (n = 38). Disease state was defined using culture positivity and a type specific Culture Western blot from a major university located in the Northwestern United States. The Positives results are:
| Comparison | % | Ratio (n/N) | 95% CI |
|--------------------|-------|-------------|------------|
| MRL EL vs. Culture | 78.9% | 30/38 | 62.7-90.4% |
| MRL EL vs. WB | 81.1% | 30/37 | 64.8-92.0% |
An internal investigator evaluated the CDC's HSV/CMV serum panel (n = 99). The CDC Evaluation of panel results are presented as a means to convey further information on the performance HSV/CMV of this assay with a masked, characterized serum panel. This does not imply an endorsement of the assay by the CDC. The results of the CDC panel evaluation were:
| Interpretation | | | % | Ratio<br>(n/N) | 95% CI |
|----------------|--------------|--------------|-------|----------------|------------|
| CDC<br>HSV-1 | CDC<br>HSV-1 | MRL<br>ELISA | | | |
| + | + or neg | + | 93.1% | 54/58 | 83.3-98.1% |
| + | neg | neg | 100% | 13/13 | 75.3-100% |
| neg | neg | neg | 100% | 28/28 | 87.7-100% |
#### Evaluation of CDC's HSV/CMV Panel
714 220-1900 FAX • 714 220-1182
{4}------------------------------------------------
## MRL DIAGNOSTICS
### 510/k) Summary of Safety and Effectiveness (Page 5 of 6)
An outside investigator assessed the device's specificity using sera from a low prevalence Specificity with population of college students. Serological "truth" was defined using a type specific a Low Western blot from a major university located in the Northwestern United States. Prevalence Population Excluding one ELISA equivocal, the results are:
| Interpretation | | % | Ratio<br>(n/N) | 95% CI |
|----------------|-----------|-------|----------------|------------|
| WB-1 | MRL ELISA | | | |
| neg | neg | 98.2% | 55/56 | 90.5-100% |
| + | + | 75.0% | 18/24 | 53.3-90.2% |
#### Specificity with a Low Prevalence Population
Type Specificity with HSV-2 Western Blot Positives
An outside investigator assessed the device's type specificity using HSV-1 Western blot negative and HSV-2 Western blot positive sera from the above described populations (n = 90): expectant mothers, sexually active adults, low prevalence persons, and HSV-1 culture positives. Serological "truth" was defined using a type specific Western blot from a major university located in the Northwestern United States. The results are:
| Type Specificity with HSV-2 Western Blot Positives | | |
|----------------------------------------------------|--|--|
| | | |
| Group | | | % | Ratio (n/N) | 95% CI |
|-------|------|--------|-------|-------------|------------|
| WB-1 | WB-2 | MRL EL | | | |
| neg | + | neg | 91.1% | 82/90 | 83.2-96.1% |
| neg | + | + | 8.9% | 8/90 | 3.9-16.8% |
Cross-reactivity with Taxonomically Related Viruses
MRL assessed the device's cross-reactivity using sera (n=26) from 1) HSV sero-negative by another manufacturer's FDA cleared HSV ELISAs, and 2) IFA IgG positive for taxonomically similar viruses including CMV, EBV VCA, HHV6 and VZV. Discrepants between the FDA cleared HSV ELISAs and the MRL device were analyzed using a type specific Western blot from a major university located in the Northwestern United States. Excluding one ELISA equivocal that was not analyzed with the Western blot because of insufficient volume, the results are:
| IFA IgG Pos | % MRL EL Neg | Ratio (n/N) | 95% CI |
|-------------|--------------|-------------|-----------|
| CMV | 100% | 12/12 | 73.5-100% |
| EBV VCA | 100% | 24/24 | 85.5-100% |
| HHV6 | 100% | 24/24 | 85.5-100% |
| VZV | 100% | 23/23 | 85.2-100% |
| Total | 100% | 83/83 | 95.7-100% |
{5}------------------------------------------------
## 510(k) Summary of Safety and Effectiveness (Page 6 of 6)
MRL assessed the device's intra-assay and inter-assay reproducibility using a slightly Intra-assay and modified version of "Evaluation of Precision Performance of Clinical Chemistry Devices", Inter-assay NCCLS Document EP5-T2 (March 1992). Briefly, seven samples were run in duplicate, Reproducibility twice a day, for twenty days, for a total of forty runs, for a total of forty data points for Study each sample. Two sets of samples were masked duplicates.
| Sample | Index Mean | Intra-assay<br>% CV | Inter-assay<br>% CV |
|--------|------------|---------------------|---------------------|
| 11* | 0.10 | 40.0% | 50.4% |
| 16* | 0.10 | 0.0% | 11.6% |
| 12** | 1.58 | 3.8% | 7.0% |
| 17** | 1.55 | 40.0% | 5.4% |
| 13 | 2.67 | 3.6% | 4.9% |
| 14 | 3.08 | 3.9% | 6.5% |
| 15 | 11.96 | 2.2% | 5.6% |
#### Intra-assay & Inter-assay Reproducibility
* #11 & #16 are masked duplicates. ** #12 & #17 are masked duplicates.
Inter-lot Reproducibility An internal investigator assessed the device's inter-lot reproducibility. Five samples were run on three separate days with three separate lots. For one lot, the samples were run in triplicate, and run in duplicate with the other two lots. Each of the three lots had at least a different lot of Antigen Wells. The results are:
| Sample | Index Mean | % CV |
|--------|------------|-------|
| 11* | 0.09 | 26.8% |
| 16* | 0.09 | 20.2% |
| 12** | 1.47 | 8.2% |
| 17** | 1.41 | 2.9% |
| 13 | 2.48 | 11.1% |
| 14 | 2.64 | 9.4% |
| 15 | 10.85 | 25.1% |
#### Inter-lot Reproducibility
* #11 & #16 are masked duplicates. ** #12 & #17 are masked duplicates.
An internal investigator and two off site laboratories assessed the device's inter-laboratory Inter-laboratory Reproducibility reproducibility. Each of the three laboratories ran seven samples in triplicate on three different days.
| Inter-lab Reproducibility | | | |
|---------------------------|------------|---------------------|---------------------|
| Sample | Mean Index | %CV of<br>Lab Means | Mean of<br>Lab %CVs |
| 11* | 0.15 | 6.6% | 70.9% |
| 16* | 0.15 | 23.6% | 63.1% |
| 12** | 1.44 | 13.5% | 7.0% |
| 17** | 1.48 | 13.0% | 4.3% |
| 13 | 2.37 | 10.8% | 5.7% |
| 14 | 2.72 | 10.7% | 7.5% |
| 15 | 14.24 | 24.3% | 64.6% |
* #11 & #16 are masked duplicates. ** #12 & #17 are masked duplicates.
800 445-0185
{6}------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Image /page/6/Picture/1 description: The image shows the logo for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The logo consists of a stylized caduceus, which is a symbol often associated with medicine and healthcare. The words "DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES - USA" are arranged in a circular pattern around the caduceus.
#### FEB 9 2000
Food and Drug Administration 2098 Gaither Road Rockville MD 20850
Mr. Michael J. Wagner, Esq. Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist MRL Diagnostics 10703 Progress Way Cypress, California 90630
K993754 Re: Trade Name: HSV-1 ELISA IgG Test Regulatory Class: III Product Code: MXJ Dated: January 31, 2000 Received: February 2, 2000
#### Dear Mr. Wagner:
We have reviewed your Section 510(k) notification of intent to market the device referenced above and we have determined the device is substantially equivalent (for the indications for use stated in the enclosure) to legally marketed predicate devices marketed in interstate commerce prior to May 28, 1976, the enactment date of the Medical Device Amendments, or to devices that have been reclassified in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Act). You may, therefore, market the device, subject to the general controls provisions of the Act. The general controls provisions of the Act include requirements for annual registration, listing of devices, good manufacturing practice, labeling, and prohibitions against misbranding and adulteration.
If your device is classified (see above) into either class II (Special Controls) or class III (Premarket Approval), it may be subject to such additional controls. Existing major regulations affecting your device can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Parts 800 to 895. A substantially equivalent determination assumes compliance with the Current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements, as set forth in the Ouality System Regulation (OS) for Medical Devices: General regulation (21 CFR Part 820) and that, through periodic QS inspections, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will verify such assumptions. Failure to comply with the GMP regulation may result in regulatory action. In addition, FDA may publish further announcements concerning your device in the Federal Register. Please note: this response to your premarket notification submission does not affect any obligation you might have under sections 531 through 542 of the Act for devices under the Electronic Product Radiation Control provisions, or other Federal laws or regulations.
{7}------------------------------------------------
Page 2
This letter will allow you to begin marketing your device as described in your 510(k) premarket notification. The FDA finding of substantial equivalence of your device to a legally marketed predicate device results in a classification for your device and thus, permits your device to proceed to the market.
If you desire specific advice for your device on our labeling regulation (21 CFR Part 801 and additionally 809.10 for in vitro diagnostic devices), please contact the Office of Compliance at (301) 594-4588. Additionally, for questions on the promotion and advertising of your device, please contact the Office of Compliance at (301) 594-4639. Also, please note the regulation entitled, "Misbranding by reference to premarket notification" (21CFR 807.97). Other general information on your responsibilities under the Act may be obtained from the Division of Small Manufacturers Assistance at its toll-free number (800) 638-2041 or (301) 443-6597 or at its internet address "http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/dsma/dsmamain.html".
Sincerely yours,
Steven Butman
Steven I. Gutman, M.D., M.B.A. Director Division of Clinical Laboratory Devices Office of Device Evaluation Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Enclosure
{8}------------------------------------------------
8993754 510(k) Number (if known): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Device Name:
HSV-1 ELISA IgG
Indications for Use:
MRL Diagnostics' HSV-1 ELISA IgG test is intended for qualitatively detecting the presence or absence of human IgG class antibodies to HSV-1 in human sera. In conjunction with the MRL HSV-2 ELISA IgG, the test is indicated for 1) testing sexually active adults, with or without a clinical history of herpes, for aiding in the presumptive diagnosis of HSV infection to identify persons who are at risk for transmitting or acquiring HSV so they may be counseled, and 2) testing expectant mothers for aiding in the presumptive assessment of the risk for acquiring and/or transmitting HSV to their child, so they may be counseled.
(PLEASE DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE CONTINUE ON ANOTHER PAGE IF NEEDED)
Concurrence of CDRH, Office of Device Evaluation (ODE)
Woody Dubois
510(k) Number
Prescription Use
(Per 21 CFR 801.109)
OR
Over-The Counter Use
(Optional Format 1-2-96)
Predicate graph will load when search results are available.
Embedding visualization will load when search results are available.
PDF viewer will load when search results are available.
Loading panels...
Select an item from Submissions
Click any panel, subpart, regulation, product code, or device to see details here.
Section Matches
Results will appear here.
Product Code Matches
Results will appear here.
Special Control Matches
Results will appear here.
Loading collections...
Loading
My Alerts
You will receive email notifications based on the filters and frequency you set for each alert.
Sort by:
Create Alert
Search Filters
Agent Token
Create a read-only bearer token for Claude, ChatGPT, or other agents that can call HTTP APIs.
Copy this now. It will not be shown again.
Connected apps
Apps you authorized through browser sign-in. Disconnecting revokes their access immediately.
Learn the FDA Browser
Two short videos show you everything — or skip straight to the written tutorial if you'd rather read. You can reopen this any time from the Tutorial button in the top bar.
Part 1 — Search, results, and everyday workflows 16 min
Part 2 — Embeddings: the galaxy map 3 min
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.
4. Device detail page: chat and citations
Click a device name to open its detail page: device facts on the left, a chat window on the right. Ask something like "Describe the training data". The answer carries little citation bubbles — click one to jump to the highlighted passage in the source PDF, so you can verify every AI answer against the document. There's also a Download PDF button for sharing.
How do you verify an AI chat answer on the device detail page?
Click the citation bubbles to jump to the relevant highlight in the source document.
Reading rule for every project: how many summaries do you read in full?
At least the three most relevant 510(k) or De Novo summaries, in full. After that, use targeted chat questions to confirm your memory quickly. The tool supports this professional habit — it doesn't replace it.
5. Side-by-side comparison
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.
6. Collections
With rows selected, go to the Collections tab and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). Reload that selection any time — before a client call, pull up the collection and ask questions across all of its devices at once.
How do you save a set of selected devices for later use?
Select the rows, go to the Collections tab, and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). You can reload the selection anytime and carry it into the PDF viewer and other tabs that support selections.
7. Product codes and the regulations tree
Click a product code in the results to jump to it in the regulations tree — identification text, sibling product codes, and devices you can open in a PDF viewer on the right. Click a regulation number to see its identification, special controls, and related product codes. You can also search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree. Always read the special controls if any exist for your device — it broadens your search and sharpens pre-kickoff research.
What can you do from the regulations tree view?
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.
8. Chart view
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.