Medical device biometrics, under MDR and IVDR

Clinical investigations, IVDR performance studies, PMCF, and CER authoring — 70+ device studies delivered under the current EU regulatory framework. Diagnostic accuracy, clinical performance, comparative effectiveness, and the lifelong clinical-evaluation cycle MDR requires.

Medical-device biometrics is its own discipline.

The post-MDR regulatory landscape made medical-device clinical evidence as demanding as pharmaceutical clinical evidence — but the documentation chain, the statistical-methodology emphasis, and the operational expectations are different. Sponsors who treat device biometrics as "drug biometrics, but easier" find themselves with a CER the Notified Body queries and a PMCF plan that doesn\'t close the post-market loop.

Metronomia has supported 70+ medical-device studies — clinical investigations, PMCF studies, registries, surveys, and investigator-initiated trials. Our biostatistics bench brings the methodology depth in diagnostic accuracy, clinical performance, and comparative effectiveness that device sponsors actually need; our medical writers know the MDR / IVDR documentation chain end-to-end.

We work to ISO 14155 and ISO 20916, follow the MDR 2017/745 and IVDR 2017/746 frameworks, and integrate with EUDAMED submission requirements. For US-bound devices, we work alongside sponsors\' US regulatory partners on the statistical and clinical-evaluation sections of 510(k), De Novo, and PMA submissions.

The medical-device biometrics portfolio

Eight capability areas spanning pre-market clinical investigations through PMCF and CER lifecycle.

Clinical investigations (MDR)

Investigation-plan authoring and statistical leadership for pre-market clinical investigations under EU MDR (Regulation 2017/745).

IVDR studies

Performance and clinical-evidence studies under IVDR (Regulation 2017/746) — including diagnostic-accuracy and clinical-performance designs.

PMCF studies

Post-market clinical follow-up studies — registries, observational, single-arm long-term safety, comparative effectiveness.

Clinical Evaluation Reports (CER)

MDR-compliant CER authoring — literature review, equivalence assessment, post-market surveillance integration, benefit-risk discussion.

Survey & registry design

Patient registries, investigator-initiated trials, and structured surveys for real-world device performance.

Diagnostic-accuracy methods

Sensitivity, specificity, AUC, kappa agreement, ROC analysis; sample-size calculations for diagnostic studies.

Comparative effectiveness

Device-vs-device, device-vs-standard-of-care designs — randomised and observational, with appropriate causal-inference framing.

Submission documentation

CIP, CER, clinical-evaluation summary, PMCF plan and report — written by writers who understand the MDR / IVDR documentation chain.

Plan → conduct → analyse → report

A four-phase engagement aligned to MDR / IVDR documentation and the lifelong clinical-evaluation cycle.

  1. 01

    Plan

    Investigation Plan (CIP) or PMCF plan authored to MDR / IVDR template, with the statistical methodology grounded in the device class and clinical claim.

  2. 02

    Conduct

    EDC build, eCRF design, statistical execution. We support studies through Notified Body review and CTIS / IRIS submission where required.

  3. 03

    Analyse

    Pre-specified analyses plus post-market surveillance integration. Sensitivity analyses for the specific endpoint type (diagnostic accuracy, clinical performance, comparative effectiveness).

  4. 04

    Report

    CER and PMCF report authoring — feeding into the lifelong clinical-evaluation cycle MDR requires.

Device studies across the MDR / IVDR regulatory framework.

70+ medical-device studies — PMCF, registries, clinical investigations
MDR Regulation 2017/745 — current device pre-market pathway
IVDR Regulation 2017/746 — current diagnostics pathway
CER authoring across device classes
ISO 14155 / 20916 — clinical-investigation standards
EUDAMED submission expertise on the EU device database
“Devices need the same biometric rigour as drugs — and a documentation chain MDR has made just as demanding. PMCF is where most sponsors realise their CER strategy needed to be designed before the first patient enrolled.”
Rebecca Farrar Rebecca Farrar Head of Medical Writing

Device-biometrics questions sponsors ask

How is medical-device biometrics different from drug-trial biometrics?
Device studies have their own regulatory framework (MDR / IVDR in Europe, FDA 510(k) / De Novo / PMA in the US), their own document chain (CIP, CER, PMCF rather than protocol / SAP / CSR), and their own statistical-methodology emphasis (diagnostic accuracy, clinical performance, equivalence). The biostatistics and CDM principles are the same; the operational details differ.
Do you support PMCF studies?
Yes — post-market clinical follow-up is one of our core medical-device offerings. We design and run registries, observational studies, and active-comparator PMCF studies, and integrate the results into the lifelong CER cycle.
Can you author the Clinical Evaluation Report?
Yes — MDR-compliant CER authoring including literature review, equivalence assessment if applicable, integration of pre-market clinical investigations and PMCF data, and benefit-risk discussion. Written by medical writers trained on MDR documentation.
What about IVDR?
IVDR performance studies and clinical-evidence studies are supported — including diagnostic-accuracy designs and clinical-performance studies for IVDs across all four classes.
Do you handle FDA device submissions too?
Yes — our US-side experience covers 510(k), De Novo, and PMA pathways. We work with sponsors on the statistical and clinical-evaluation sections; full FDA submission management is typically partnered with a US regulatory affairs firm.
Can you join an existing medical-device programme mid-study?
Yes — device studies are inherited in the same way as drug trials. We review existing CIP, statistical methodology, EDC, and PMCF setup; identify gaps; and re-baseline. Most takeovers preserve the sponsor timeline.