K050957 · Special Devices, Inc. · MDM · May 18, 2005 · General, Plastic Surgery
Device Facts
Record ID
K050957
Device Name
EUTROCHAR
Applicant
Special Devices, Inc.
Product Code
MDM · General, Plastic Surgery
Decision Date
May 18, 2005
Decision
SESE
Submission Type
Traditional
Regulation
21 CFR 878.4800
Device Class
Class 1
Attributes
Therapeutic
Indications for Use
The EuTrochar is a trocar used for the installation of surgical drains.
Device Story
EuTrochar is a stainless steel, curved trocar used for surgical drain installation. Device consists of a sharp-pointed rod and a 'Deployer' handle mechanism. Unlike traditional trocars requiring manual removal of protective covers and use of pliers, the EuTrochar uses a Deployer handle to house the trocar and a protective 'Sheath'. Surgeon places the Deployer at the desired exit site; squeezing the handles advances the trocar through soft tissue into the Sheath, which acts as a target. This mechanism keeps the surgeon's fingers away from the sharp point, improving safety and placement accuracy. Once the drain is positioned, the trocar is cut from the tubing and discarded. Used in surgical settings by surgeons and assistants to facilitate drain placement without manual handling of the sharp point.
Clinical Evidence
Bench testing only. Testing performed on prototype hardware using plastic tissue and animal tissue models. A 'bench trial' protocol was conducted using plastic sheets to simulate tissue. No failures were reported in these trials, and the device was deemed safe for patients and surgical personnel.
Technological Characteristics
Highly polished stainless steel rod, curved geometry (approx. 160mm length, 4-6mm diameter). Includes a mechanical 'Deployer' handle and 'Sheath' protective cover. Manual operation; no energy source. Non-electronic, mechanical surgical instrument.
Indications for Use
Indicated for the installation of surgical drains in patients requiring surgical drainage. Prescription use by surgeons.
Regulatory Classification
Identification
A manual surgical instrument for general use is a nonpowered, hand-held, or hand manipulated device, either reusable or disposable, intended to be used in various general surgical procedures. The device includes the applicator, clip applier, biopsy brush, manual dermabrasion brush, scrub brush, cannula, ligature carrier, chisel, clamp, contractor, curette, cutter, dissector, elevator, skin graft expander, file, forceps, gouge, instrument guide, needle guide, hammer, hemostat, amputation hook, ligature passing and knot-tying instrument, knife, mallet, disposable or reusable aspiration and injection needle, disposable or reusable suturing needle, osteotome, pliers, rasp, retainer, retractor, saw, scalpel blade, scalpel handle, one-piece scalpel, snare, spatula, stapler, disposable or reusable stripper, stylet, suturing apparatus for the stomach and intestine, measuring tape, and calipers. A surgical instrument that has specialized uses in a specific medical specialty is classified in separate regulations in parts 868 through 892 of this chapter.
Predicate Devices
Davol Reliavac with PVC Drain (DVL3463)
TLS Surgical Drainage System, 7 French Drain Kit trocar (Catalogue Number 6640)
Submission Summary (Full Text)
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MAY 18 2005
K050957
Page 183
## 510(k) Summary
Special Devices Incorporated 12493 Old Rough and Ready Hwy. Grass Valley, CA 95945 Telephone 530/273-6763 Fax 530/477-0583 Contact Name: Joseph J. Spranza III
March 26, 2905
Trade Name, EuTrochar
Common Name, trocar for installing surgical drains
Name of legally marketed devices.
The Davol Reliavac with PVC Drain, DVL3463 TLS Surgical Drainage System, 7 French Drain Kit trocar. Catalogue Number 6640.
Description. The EuTrochar is a trocar used for the installation of surgical drains. The EuTrochar has a handle, the "Deployer" to facilitate gripping, to improve accuracy of drain placement and to keep fingers away from the sharp point. Trocars have been used for more than a hundred years to create an incision in soft tissue for surgical drain tubing. Like other drain installation trocars, this instrument is a highly polished stainless steel rod of small diameter, normally 4 to 6mm in diameter and about 160mm long. One end of the rod is very sharply pointed and the other end has a hose barb for affixing tying. The rod is curved between the two ends so that it looks like a giant sailmaker's needle.
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K050957 2 of 3
Intended Use. The EuTrochar is a trocar used for the installation of surgical drains.
Summary of technological characteristics of the device compared with the predicate devices. Like other drain installation trocars, this instrument is a highly polished stainless steel rod, curved in the middle of the length and having a sharp pointed end and a second end for tubing attachment. Beyond the similarities, there are several differences between the EuTrochar and predicate drain installation trocars. Predicate drain installation trocars have a soft plastic cover over the sharp pointed end. This cover must be removed before use. The surgeon or surgical assistant pulls this plastic cover off. Then, grasping the trocar in his hand or with pliers, the surgeon pushes the point into the area where he wants the drain tubing and forces the predicate trocar from within the surgical incision, through soft tissue to the outside. When the sharp pointed end emerges from the outside tissue, the surgeon typically grasps the emerging pointed end using pliers. He then pulls the trocar through the tissue flap and with it, on the trailing end of the trocar, comes the drain tubing. After cutting the trocan from the drain tubing, the surgeon or assistant must replace the protective cover onto the sharp point.
The EuTrochar is different from the predicate drain installation trocars in that the protective cover "Sheath" is not removed by the surgeons' hand. The protected EuTrochar, (Sheath covering the sharp point) is inserted into a handle, ("Deployer") into which it is automatically securely fastened. Grasping the Deployer by the handles, the surgeon opens it, releasing the EuTrochar from the protective Sheath remains in the head (Receiver) of the Deployer and acts as a target for the sharp point when later the Deployer is closed, returning the sharp point on the EuTrochar into the Sheath. With the Deployer opened, there is ample clearance tissue to fit between the sharp point of the EuTrochar and the Receiver target. Holding the Deployer by the handles, the surgeon and associates are clear of the sharp point as it is placed at the desired spot for the drain inside the soft tissue flap. The Deployer is positioned such that the target is placed at the desired exit position of the drain tubing. Squeezing the handles closes the Deployer and therefore advances the EuTrochar through the soft tissue and back into the Sheath. Since the target supports the tissue, the EuTrochar is advanced through the soft tissue, without fingers or hands near the
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sharp point. And, the drain tube will be in the exact position desired by the surgeon. The Sharp point of automatically locked into the Sheath when the Deployer is closed. The tubing Eurrochar is and drain tubing through the soft tissue. No fingers come close to the point, as it is enclosed with the Sheath. When the tubing has been pulled far enough, the EuTrochar, protected by the are work.
Sheath, is easily released from the Receiver. It is cut from the tubing and discarded into the hazardous waste depository.
Thus, the differences between predicate drain installation trocars and the EuTrochar are in the protective cover over the sharp point and in the handle (Deployer) which replaces the need for pliers and keeps fingers clear of the sharp point.
This product has no Performance Standards. Technicians in Special Devices performed exhaustive tests with prototype hardware using both plastic tissue and animal tissue. Many drain installations were performed on dead animal tissue. Additionally, as an aid to writing the Technique Manual and to ascertain that the hardware could be used successfully by outside surgeons and support personnel, Special Devices developed a Trials Protocol, which we consider a "bench trial." Employing plastic sheet as ersatz tissue, a series of EuTrochars and several Deployers were used in trials. No failures were experienced.
The conclusions of each tester were that there had been no failure and that the devices did not present a hazard to a prospective patient nor to surgical personnel.
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Image /page/3/Picture/2 description: The image shows the seal of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of the United States. The seal features a stylized caduceus, a symbol often associated with medicine and healthcare, consisting of a staff with two snakes entwined around it. The words "DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - USA" are arranged in a circular pattern around the caduceus.
MAY 1 8 2005
Food and Drug Administration 9200 Corporate Boulevard Rockville MD 20850
Mr. Joseph John Spranza, III President Special Devices Incorporated 12493 Old Rough and Ready Highway Grass Valley, California 95945
Re: K050957
Trade/Device Name: EuTrochar Regulation Number: 21 CFR 878.4800 Regulation Name: Manual surgical instrument for general use Regulatory Class: I Product Code: MDM Dated: March 21, 2005 Received: April 15, 2005
Dear Mr. Spranza:
We have reviewed your Section 510(k) premarket notification of intent to market the device we nave reviewed your be determined the device is substantially equivalent (for the indications for use stated in the enclosure) to legally marketed predicate devices marketed in interstate for use stated in the encreations of the enactment date of the Medical Device Amendments, or to conninered pror to Milly 20, 1978, is accordance with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, de rices mat have been require approval of a premarket approval application (PMA). and Costine (110. (110.) that the device, subject to the general controls provisions of the Act. The r ou may, mereloro, maries of the Act include requirements for annual registration, listing of devices, good manufacturing practice, labeling, and prohibitions against misbranding and adulteration.
If your device is classified (see above) into either class II (Special Controls) or class III (PMA), it your device to such additional controls. Existing major regulations affecting your device it may of sucjoct to Edan of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Parts 800 to 898. In addition, FDA can or tound in the overouncements concerning your device in the Federal Register.
Please be advised that FDA's issuance of a substantial equivalence determination does not mean r toase be act nove a determination that your device complies with other requirements of the Act than + Drederal statutes and regulations administered by other Federal agencies. You must comply with all the Act's requirements, including, but not limited to: registration and listing (21 CFR Part 807); labeling (21 CFR Part 801); good manufacturing practice requirements as set OFF in the quality systems (QS) regulation (21 CFR Part 820); and if applicable, the electronic product radiation control provisions (Sections 531-542 of the Act); 21 CFR 1000-1050.
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## Page 2 - Mr. Joseph John Spranza, III
This letter will allow you to begin marketing your device as described in your Section 510(k) rran roket notification. The FDA finding of substantial equivalence of your device to a legally promation in the device results in a classification for your device and thus, permits your device to proceed to the market.
If you desire specific advice for your device on our labeling regulation (21 CFR Part 801), please If you the Office of Compliance at (240) 276-0115 . Also, please note the regulation entitled, "Misbranding by reference to premarket notification" (21CFR Part 807.97). You may obtain other general information on your responsibilities under the Act from the Division of Small Manufacturers, International and Consumer Assistance at its toll-free number (800) 638-2041 or (301) 443-6597 or at its Internet address http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/industry/support/index.html.
Sincerely yours,
Ru Ohi
Miriam C. Provost, Ph.D. Acting Director Division of General, Restorative and Neurological Devices Office of Device Evaluation Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Enclosure
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K050957
## Indications for Use
510(K) Number (if known): K050957
Device Name: EuTrochar
Indications For Use: FOR USE IN INSTALLING SURGICAL DRAINS
Prescription Use: By Surgeon (Part 21 CFR 801 Subpart D)
Over-The-Counter Use (Part 21 CFR 801 Subpart C)
BELOW THIS LINE-CONTINUE ON (PLEASE DO NOT WRITE ANOTHER PAGE IF NEEDED)
Concurrence of CDRH, Office of Devices Evaluation (ODE)
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Judith Areen
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Two short videos show you everything — or skip straight to the written tutorial if you'd rather read. You can reopen this any time from the Tutorial button in the top bar.
Part 1 — Search, results, and everyday workflows 16 min
Part 2 — Embeddings: the galaxy map 3 min
1. Search: exact and fuzzy
Type a phrase like "coronary artery calcification" into the search box. You get two kinds of results. Exact results match the literal phrase — prefix searches work ("coronary artery calcificati") but suffix searches do not. Fuzzy results match on the meaning and intent of your phrase rather than the exact words, and are sorted by relevance score. Hover over the Exact or Fuzzy badge on any row to see exactly why it matched.
Use the checkboxes above the results to narrow: SaMD keeps only software-only devices, AI / ML keeps only devices with AI.
Exact vs. fuzzy search: what's the difference?
Exact matches on the literal phrase (prefix search works, suffix does not). Fuzzy matches on the meaning and intent of the phrase rather than the exact words. Hover over the badge on any row to see why it matched.
You search "coronary artery calcification" and want only software devices with AI. What two filters do you apply?
Narrow by SaMD (software-only devices), then narrow by AI/ML (devices with AI).
2. The results table
Scroll right in the results table. The intended use is extracted for you — no need to open the PDF. The device story gives a high-level snapshot of what the device does and how it's used. The AI Performance sub-table shows each output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, and development/test dataset descriptions — the same format Innolitics uses for regulatory strategy outputs, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. It is AI-generated but has been very reliable in practice.
Where do you find a device's intended use without opening the PDF?
Scroll right in the search results table. The intended use column is extracted for you; no need to dig into the 510(k) summary PDF.
What does the AI Performance sub-table show, and why is it useful?
Output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, development dataset description, and test dataset description. It's the same format we use for regulatory strategy output and Fast 510(k) input, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. AI-generated but reliable in practice.
3. Judging fuzzy relevance
Fuzzy results trail off in relevance as you scroll. Use three signals to decide how far down to go: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether your target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, you're past the relevant zone. A top hit with a low score (~0.4) and a stretched explanation is a hint the closest predicates are far away — the project may be headed for De Novo. Note the fuzzy search is a pattern match: it doesn't handle negation ("not") well, and hardware devices can appear — filter by SaMD/AI ML to cut them.
How do you judge how far down fuzzy search results to go?
Use the relevancy signals: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether the target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, results are trailing off in relevancy.
4. Device detail page: chat and citations
Click a device name to open its detail page: device facts on the left, a chat window on the right. Ask something like "Describe the training data". The answer carries little citation bubbles — click one to jump to the highlighted passage in the source PDF, so you can verify every AI answer against the document. There's also a Download PDF button for sharing.
How do you verify an AI chat answer on the device detail page?
Click the citation bubbles to jump to the relevant highlight in the source document.
Reading rule for every project: how many summaries do you read in full?
At least the three most relevant 510(k) or De Novo summaries, in full. After that, use targeted chat questions to confirm your memory quickly. The tool supports this professional habit — it doesn't replace it.
5. Side-by-side comparison
Select multiple rows in the results table (aim for under ~10), then open the PDF Viewer tab. Ask one question — it goes to all selected devices in parallel, each with citations. This is the fastest way to compare and contrast devices: training data, PCCP scope, how they handled adding new scanners, and so on.
What does the side-by-side PDF viewer mode do?
Select multiple devices, open the PDF viewer tab, and ask one question (e.g., "Describe the training data"). It queries all selected devices simultaneously with citations, so you can compare and contrast quickly.
6. Collections
With rows selected, go to the Collections tab and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). Reload that selection any time — before a client call, pull up the collection and ask questions across all of its devices at once.
How do you save a set of selected devices for later use?
Select the rows, go to the Collections tab, and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). You can reload the selection anytime and carry it into the PDF viewer and other tabs that support selections.
7. Product codes and the regulations tree
Click a product code in the results to jump to it in the regulations tree — identification text, sibling product codes, and devices you can open in a PDF viewer on the right. Click a regulation number to see its identification, special controls, and related product codes. You can also search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree. Always read the special controls if any exist for your device — it broadens your search and sharpens pre-kickoff research.
What can you do from the regulations tree view?
Browse product codes and regulation numbers, read the identification text and special controls, browse sibling product codes, open device PDFs on the right, and search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree.
8. Chart view
Click Show Chart and segment by regulation number (or product code) to see which regulations dominate your result set. Clicking a regulation takes you into the regulations tree. Great for spotting that most matches are, say, hardware laparoscopic devices — a cue to go back and filter.
How do you see which regulations dominate a search result set?
Click "Show Chart" and segment by Regulation Number. Clicking a regulation takes you to the regulations tree.
9. The predicate graph
Open the Predicates tab for a family-tree view of predicate relationships. Click a node to trace its parents and children; selections from search carry over pre-selected. Commonly predicated devices are worth reading — a lot of people predicated them for a reason. The visual lineage is also handy on client calls, e.g. to show how a predicate family evolved and justify why your predicate still holds.
In the predicate graph, why are commonly predicated devices worth reading?
A lot of people predicated them for a reason. Clicking a node traces parents and children, and selections from search carry over pre-selected.
10. Embeddings: the galaxy map
The Embeddings tab plots every matching document in a 2-D "galaxy map" where semantically similar devices cluster together. Hover or click clusters to explore, and let AI label the clusters for you. Embeddings beat product codes for grouping: two devices can carry different product codes (LLZ vs. QIH) yet do the same thing — the embedding captures the meaning of the intended use and device story. This is also exactly how retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) works under the hood, and it makes a great visual on client calls.
Try it yourself
Head to the search page and work through a few of these AI/ML fuzzy searches to build intuition: perivascular fat on CT · aortic valve calcification opportunistic screening on noncontrast CT · breast cancer prediction on digital pathology slides · autism detection · gestational age prediction · a hearing aid that can also detect a pulse · foundation model based analysis of ECG · large language models · penetration test. Watch how the relevance scores, intended use, and AI Performance tables tell you when results stop being meaningful.