Cleared Traditional

3M VFLEX HEALTH CARE PARTICULATE RESPIRATOR AND SURGICAL MASK (K121069) - FDA 510(k) Clearance

Class II General Hospital device cleared through predicate-based substantial equivalence - typically does not require clinical trials.

K121069 · 3M Company · General Hospital
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Feb 2013
Decision
308d
Days
Class 2
Risk

K121069 is an FDA 510(k) clearance for the 3M VFLEX HEALTH CARE PARTICULATE RESPIRATOR AND SURGICAL MASK. Classified as Respirator, Surgical (product code MSH), Class II - Special Controls.

Submitted by 3M Company (St. Paul, US). The FDA issued a Cleared decision on February 11, 2013 after a review of 308 days - an unusually long review period, suggesting complex equivalence evaluation.

This device falls under the General Hospital FDA review panel, regulated under 21 CFR 878.4040 - the FDA general hospital device framework. The Traditional 510(k) pathway establishes clearance through substantial equivalence to a legally marketed predicate device, without requiring clinical trial data.

Device pattern: Standard predicate-based submission. Elevated predicate reliance profile. This clearance follows a standard predicate-based equivalence path within the General Hospital review framework, consistent with the majority of Class II 510(k) submissions.

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Submission Details

510(k) Number K121069 FDA.gov
FDA Decision Cleared Substantially Equivalent - Traditional 510(k) (SESE)
Date Received April 09, 2012
Decision Date February 11, 2013
Days to Decision 308 days
Submission Type Traditional
Review Panel General Hospital (HO)
Summary Summary PDF
Third-party Review No - reviewed directly by FDA
Regulatory Context
Review time vs. panel average
179d slower than avg
Panel avg: 129d · This submission: 308d
Pathway characteristics
Predicate-based equivalence. No clinical trials required.

Device Classification

Product Code MSH Respirator, Surgical
Device Class Class 2 - Special Controls
CFR Regulation 21 CFR 878.4040
Definition A Surgical N95 Respirator Or N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator Is Not Exempt If It Is Intended To Prevent Specific Diseases Or Infections, Or It Is Labeled Or Otherwise Represented As Filtering Surgical Smoke Or Plumes, Filtering Specific Amounts Of Viruses Or Bacteria, Reducing The Amount Of And/or Killing Viruses, Bacteria, Or Fungi, Or Affecting Allergenicity, Or It Contains coating Technologies Unrelated To Filtration (e.g., To Reduce And Or Kill Microorganisms).  surgical N95 Respirators And N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators Are Exempt From The Premarket Notification Procedures Subject To 21 Cfr 878.9 And The Conditions For Exemption Identified In 21 Cfr 878.4040(b)(1).
What this classification means

Class II devices require demonstration of substantial equivalence to a legally marketed predicate device. This pathway does not require clinical trials - it relies on engineering equivalence and performance data. Most General Hospital devices follow this clearance model.

Regulatory Peers - MSH Respirator, Surgical

All 34
Devices cleared under the same product code (MSH) and FDA review panel - the closest regulatory comparables to K121069.
Halyard Fluidshield 3 N95 Particulate Filter Respirator and Surgical Mask with So Soft Lining, Orange, Regular and Small, Halyard Fluidshield 3 N95 Particulate Filter Respirator and Surgical Mask with Safety Seal and So Soft Lining, Orange, Regular and Small, Halyard Fluidshield 2 N95 Particulate Filter Respirator and Surgical Mask with So Soft Lining, White, Regular and Small
K233022 · Owens & Minor (O&M) Halyard, Inc. · Jan 2024