Technical Articles

EN 60601 Testing

EN 60601 or IEC 60601 is the European harmonized standard to meet the Medical Device Directive. EN 60601 applies to the basic safety and essential performance of medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems. While this standard is broadly considered all encompassing, it is important to note that in addition to EN 60601, there are dozens of additional standards that address unique features and characteristics of medical devices.

The testing completed under EN 60601 includes the following:

Electro-static Discharge
Radiated Immunity
Fast Transient
Surge
Conducted Immunity
Power Frequency Magnetic Fields (voltage dips, interruptions and variations)

There are several clauses within EN 60601 that require increased attention. One of these clauses states, “the essential performance of equipment and systems shall be identified by a risk analysis. If the risk analysis is not performed, all functions of the equipment or system shall be considered essential performance for the purpose of immunity testing.” Essential performance is defined in the standard as “performance characteristics necessary to maintain the Residual Risk within acceptable limits”. Essential performance should be determined by a risk analysis. If a risk analysis is not completed, all functions of the medical device shall be considered essential.

It should be noted that EN 60601 places the burden of determining pass or fail on the device manufacturer, not the EMC test lab, since ultimately the medical device manufacturer determines which functions are essential performance.

EN 60601 presents unique challenges to medical device manufacturers.

Requirement:	Description:
IEC 60417:	Graphical symbols for use on equipment
IEC 60601-1:	2005 Medical electrical equipment – Part 1: General requirements for basic safety and essential performance
IEC 60601-1-8:	2006 Medical electrical equipment – Part 1-8: General requirements for basic safety and essential performance – Collateral standard: General requirements, tests and guidance for alarm systems in medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems
IEC 61000-3-2, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 3-2	Limits – Limits for harmonic current emissions (equipment input current ? 16 A per phase)
IEC 61000-3-3, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 3-3:	Limits – Limitation of voltage fluctuations and flicker in low-voltage supply systems for equipment with rated current ? 16 A
IEC 61000-4-2, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-2:	Testing and measurement techniques – Electrostatic discharge immunity test
IEC 61000-4-3, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-3:	Testing and measurement techniques – Radiated, radio-frequency, electromagnetic field immunity test
IEC 61000-4-4, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-4:	Testing and measurement techniques – Electrical fast transient/burst immunity test
IEC 61000-4-5, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-5:	Testing and measurement techniques – Surge immunity test
IEC 61000-4-6:2003, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-6:	Testing and measurement techniques – Immunity to conducted disturbances, induced by radio-frequency fields
IEC 61000-4-8, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-8:	Testing and measurement techniques – Power frequency magnetic field immunity test
IEC 61000-4-11, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-11:	Testing and measuring techniques – Voltage dips, short interruptions and voltage variations immunity tests
CISPR 11:	Industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio-frequency equipment – Electromagnetic disturbance characteristics – Limits and methods of measurement
CISPR 14-1:	Electromagnetic compatibility – Requirements for household appliances, electric tools and similar apparatus – Part 1: Emission
CISPR 15:	Limits and methods of measurement of radio disturbance characteristics of electrical lighting and similar equipment
CISPR 16-1-2:	Specification for radio disturbance and immunity measuring apparatus and methods – Part 1-2: Radio disturbance and immunity measuring apparatus – Ancillary equipment – Conducted disturbancesCISPR 22, Information technology equipment – Radio disturbance characteristics – Limits and methods of measurement

Included below are all of the sections of IEC 60601-1:

IEC 60601-1-1 Medical systems
IEC 60601-1-2 EMC risks
IEC 60601-1-3 Radiology
IEC 60601-1-4 Software
IEC 60601-1-6 Usability
IEC 60601-1-8 Alarms
IEC 60601-1-9 Environment
IEC 60601-1-10 Closed loop controllers
IEC 60601-1-11 Home health care
IEC 60601-2-1 Electron accelerators
IEC 60601-2-2 High frequency surgical equipment
IEC 60601-2-3 Short-wave therapy equipment
IEC 60601-2-4 Cardiac defibrillators and cardiac defibrillator monitors
IEC 60601-2-5 Ultrasonic physiotherapy equipment
IEC 60601-2-6 Microwave therapy equipment
IEC 60601-2-7 High voltage generators of diagnostic X-ray generators
IEC 60601-2-8 Therapeutic X-ray equipment
IEC 60601-2-9 Patient contact dosimeters
IEC 60601-2-10 Nerve and muscle stimulators
IEC 60601-2-11 Gamma beam therapy equipment
IEC 60601-2-12 Lung ventilators
IEC 60601-2-13 Anesthetic machines
IEC 60601-2-16 Haemodialysis, haemodiafiltration and haemofiltration equipment
IEC 60601-2-17 Remote-controlled automatically-driven gamma-ray after-loading equipment
IEC 60601-2-18 Endoscopic equipment
IEC 60601-2-19 Infant incubators
IEC 60601-2-20 Infant transport incubators
IEC 60601-2-21 Infant radiant warmers
IEC 60601-2-22 Surgical, cosmetic, therapeutic and diagnostic laser equipment
IEC 60601-2-23 Transcutaneous partial pressure monitoring equipment
IEC 60601-2-24 Infusion pumps and controllers
IEC 60601-2-25 Electrocardiographs
IEC 60601-2-26 Electroencephalographs
IEC 60601-2-27 Electrocardiographic monitoring equipment
IEC 60601-2-28 X-ray tube assemblies for medical diagnostics
IEC 60601-2-29 Radiotherapy simulators
IEC 80601-2-30 Automated non-invasive sphygmomanometers
IEC 60601-2-31 External cardiac pacemakers with internal power source
IEC 60601-2-32 X-ray equipment
IEC 60601-2-33 Magnetic resonance equipment for medical diagnosis
IEC 60601-2-34 Direct blood pressure monitoring equipment
IEC 60601-2-35 Heating devices using blankets, pads, mattresses
IEC 60601-2-36 Extracorporeally induced lithotripsy
IEC 60601-2-37 Ultrasonic medical diagnostic and monitoring equipment
IEC 60601-2-38 Electrically operated hospital beds
IEC 60601-2-39 Peritoneal dialysis equipment
IEC 60601-2-40 Electromyographs and evoked response equipment
IEC 60601-2-41 Surgical luminaires and luminaires for diagnosis
IEC 60601-2-43 X-ray equipment for interventional procedures
IEC 60601-2-44 X-ray equipment for computed tomography
IEC 60601-2-45 Mammographic X-ray equipment and mammographic stereotactic devices
IEC 60601-2-46 Operating tables
IEC 60601-2-47 Ambulatory electrocardiographic monitors
IEC 60601-2-49 Multiparameter patient monitoring equipment
IEC 60601-2-50 Infant phototherapy equipment
IEC 60601-2-51 Recording and analyzing single and multichannel electrocardiographs
IEC 60601-2-52 Medical beds
IEC 60601-2-53 Computer assisted electrocardiography communication protocol
IEC 60601-2-54 X-ray equipment for radiography and radioscopy
IEC 60601-2-55 Respiratory gas monitoring equipment