Medical Devices and Medicine-Device Combinations

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Medical devices are the most widely used medical products. More than 10 000 categories of devices exist in the world and so have a diverse range of features. Medical devices can be classified according to their uses into the following:

• diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, treatment or alleviation of disease
• diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, alleviation of or compensation for an injury
• investigation, replacement, modification, or support of the body or of a physiological process
• supporting or sustaining life
• control of conception
• disinfection of medical devices
• providing information by means of examining samples taken from patients (for example, blood tests or biopsies )

In addition, certain products are classified as medical devices in some regions of the world but not in others, and include:

• disinfection substances
• aids for persons with disabilities (also called assistive products)
• devices incorporating animal and/or human tissues
• devices for in vitro fertilisation or assisted reproduction technologies.