An Interactive Guide to the Medical Device Clinical Trial Pathway for Product & Engineering Leaders

The Strategic Foundation

The most critical decisions in a device's journey happen before development begins. The "Intended Use" statement dictates the device's classification, which in turn determines the entire regulatory pathway, evidence requirements, cost, and time to market. Explore below how this single decision creates branching paths in the US and EU.

Device Idea & Intended Use

🇺🇸 United States (FDA)

Risk-Based Classification

Class I Low Risk
Class II Moderate Risk
Class III High Risk

🇪🇺 European Union (MDR)

Rule-Based Classification

Class I
Class IIa
Class IIb
Class III

Select a classification to see details

Click on any of the device classes above to learn about its typical regulatory pathway and clinical data requirements.

The Trial Journey: An End-to-End View

A clinical trial is a highly structured, multi-phase project. From initial design to final report, each step is meticulously planned and executed to ensure patient safety and data integrity. Click on each step of the timeline below to explore the key activities, roles, and outputs for that phase.

1

Plan

2

Approve

3

Execute

4

Analyze

5

Report

Key Activities

    Primary Outputs

      Key Players & Critical Documents

      A clinical trial is a team sport involving many internal and external stakeholders, each with specific responsibilities. It also generates a series of critical documents that form the official record. Use the filters to explore.

      US vs. EU: A Tale of Two Systems

      While both the US FDA and EU MDR prioritize patient safety, their philosophies and processes have crucial differences that impact strategy, timelines, and costs. Select a topic to compare.

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