The WallFlex Biliary Transhepatic Stent System is indicated for use in the palliative treatment of biliary strictures produced by malignant neoplasms.
Device Story
WallFlex Biliary Transhepatic Stent System consists of an implantable stent and a delivery system. Stents are available in uncovered, fully covered, or partially covered configurations (Permalume covering). Stent wires feature a radiopaque core for imaging. Delivery system includes radiopaque marker bands to assist in deployment and accommodates a 0.035-inch guidewire. Used by clinicians for transhepatic placement to maintain patency in malignant biliary strictures. Device provides mechanical support to the biliary duct, facilitating bile flow and palliating symptoms. Safety and effectiveness for vascular use have not been established.
Clinical Evidence
Bench testing only. No clinical data provided. Biocompatibility testing (Cytotoxicity, Sensitization, Irritation, Acute Systemic Toxicity, USP Physicochemical, Material Mediated Rabbit Pyrogen) performed on delivery system components. Performance testing confirmed substantial equivalence regarding deployment, reconstrainment, guidewire passage, and trackability/pushability.
Technological Characteristics
Stent system with radiopaque-core wires; available uncovered or with Permalume covering. Delivery system includes radiopaque marker bands; 0.035-inch guidewire compatibility. Biocompatibility evaluated per EN ISO 10993-1:2009. Mechanical design and materials identical to predicate WallFlex and Wallstent systems.
Indications for Use
Indicated for palliative treatment of biliary strictures caused by malignant neoplasms in patients requiring biliary stenting.
Regulatory Classification
Identification
A biliary catheter and accessories is a tubular flexible device used for temporary or prolonged drainage of the biliary tract, for splinting of the bile duct during healing, or for preventing stricture of the bile duct. This generic type of device may include a bile collecting bag that is attached to the biliary catheter by a connector and fastened to the patient with a strap.
Special Controls
*Classification.* Class II (special controls). The device, when it is a bile collecting bag or a surgical biliary catheter that does not include a balloon component, is exempt from the premarket notification procedures in subpart E of part 807 of this chapter subject to the limitations in § 876.9.
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K112543
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DEC 2 9 2011
SECTION 5 510(k) SUMMARY
### 1. Submitter
Boston Scientific Corporation 100 Boston Scientific Way Marlborough, MA 01752 Telephone: 508-683-4454 Fax: 508-683-5939
Contact: Thomas Hirte Senior Manager Regulatory Affairs Date Prepared: August 04, 2011
#### 2. Device
Trade Name: WallFlex™ Biliary Transhepatic Stent System Biliary Stent system Common Name: Biliary catheter and accessories Classification Name: 876.5010 Regulation Number: FGE Product Code: Classification: Class II
# 3. Predicate Devices
The Boston Scientific Corporation, Wallstent Transhepatic Biliary Endoprosthesis (K964119), the Boston Scientific Corporation, Wallstent Biliary Endoprosthesis (K000308, K993232) , and the Boston Scientific Corporation, WallFlex Biliary RX Stent System (K061231, K081733, K083374, and K083627).
#### 4. Device Description
The WallFlex™ Biliary Transhepatic Stent System is comprised of two components: the implantable WallFlex Biliary Transhepatic stent and the delivery system.
The stent is offered uncovered or covered. The covered stents are offered as fully covered, or partially covered with a Permalume™ stent covering. The stent wires have a radiopaque core to improve radiopacity.
The stent is preloaded onto the delivery system, which has radiopaque marker bands used to aid in imaging during deployment of the stent. The delivery system accommodates a 0.035 in (0.89 mm) guidewire.
#### 5. Indication for Use:
The WallFlex Biliary Transhepatic Stent System is indicated for use in the palliative treatment of biliary strictures produced by malignant neoplasms.
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K112543
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# 6. Technological Characteristics:
The proposed WallFlex Transhepatic Biliary Stent System has the same technological characteristics (such as the stent and delivery system dimensions, materials, and design features) as the predicate Wallstent Transhepatic Biliary Stent System (K964119), the Wallstent Biliary Endoprosthesis (K000308, K993232), and the WallFlex Biliary RX Stent System (K061231, K081733, K083374, and K083627).
The proposed device has the same intended use and is placed using the same methodology as the predicate device (Wallstent Transhepatic Biliary Stent System) via a flexible delivery system.
# 7. Performance Data:
Biocompatibility and performance testing was performed on the proposed WallFlex Biliary Transhepatic Stent System.
#### Biocompatibility Testing Summary:
The proposed stent is identical to the current WallFlex Biliary RX Stent (K061231, K081733, K083374, and K083627), and therefore no further biocompatibility testing was done on the stent. The proposed delivery system is manufactured utilizing identical materials that are used on the current predicate devices. Biocompatibility was evaluated in accordance with EN ISO 10993-1:2009, and the following tests were performed on the delivery system: Cytotoxicity, Sensitization, Irritation, Acute Systemic Toxicity, USP Physicochemical Test, and Material Mediated Rabbit Pyrogen Test.
# Performance Testing Summary:
Comparative performance testing was successfully completed to establish substantial equivalence between the proposed WallFlex Biliary Transhepatic Stent System and the predicate devices. This testing included but was not limited to deployment, reconstrainment, guidewire passage, and trackability/pushability.
#### 8. Conclusion:
All biocompatibility tests conducted on the WallFlex Biliary Transhepatic Stent System passed. Therefore, the WallFlex Biliary Transhepatic Stent System is considered biocompatible for its intended use.
All device bench test results were acceptable. The data demonstrate that the WallFlex Biliary Transhepatic Stent System sufficiently meets the design specifications and is suitable for the intended use.
Boston Scientific has demonstrated that the proposed WallFlex Biliary Transhepatic Stent System is substantially equivalent to Boston Scientific Corporations currently marketed Wallstent Biliary Transhepatic Stent System (K964119), the Wallstent Biliary Endoprosthesis (K000308, K993232), and the Boston Scientific WallFlex Biliary RX Stent System (K061231, K081733, K083374, and K083627).
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Image /page/2/Picture/1 description: The image is a circular seal for the Department of Health & Human Services USA. The seal features a stylized eagle with its wings spread, facing right. The words "DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES USA" are arranged in a circular pattern around the eagle.
Food and Drug Administration 10903 New Hampshire Avenue Document Control Room -WO66-G609 Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002
Mr. Thomas Hirte Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs Boston Scientific Corporation 100 Boston Scientific Way MARLBOROUGH MA 01752
DEC 2 9 2011
Re: K112543
Trade/Device Name: WallFlex® Biliary Transhepatic Stent System Regulation Number: 21 CFR §876.5010 Regulation Name: Biliary catheter and accessories Regulatory Class: II Product Code: FGE Dated: December 21, 2011 Received: December 22, 2011
Dear Mr. Hirte:
We have reviewed your Section 510(k) premarket notification of intent to market the device referenced above and have determined the device is substantially equivalent (for the indications for use stated in the enclosure) to legally marketed predicate devices marketed in interstate commerce prior to May 28, 1976, the enactment date of the Medical Device Amendments, or to devices that have been reclassified in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Act). You may, therefore, market the device, subject to the general controls provisions of the Act and the limitations described below. The general controls provisions of the Act include requirements for annual registration, listing of devices, good manufacturing practice, labeling, and prohibitions against misbranding and adulteration.
The Office of Device Evaluation has determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that this device will be used for an intended use not identified in the proposed labeling and that such use could cause harm. Therefore, in accordance with Section 513(i)(1)(E) of the Act, the following limitation must appear in the Warnings section of the device's labeling:
The safety and effectiveness of this device for use in the vascular system have not been established.
Furthermore, the indication for biliary use must be prominently displayed in all labeling, including pouch, box, and carton labels, instructions for use, and other promotional materials, in close proximity to the trade name, of a similar point size, and in bold print.
Please note that the above labeling limitations are required by Section 513(i)(1)(E) of the Act. Therefore, a new 510(k) is required before these limitations are modified in any way or removed from the device's labeling.
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# Page 2 - Mr. Thomas Hirte
The FDA finding of substantial equivalence of your device to a legally marketed predicate device results in a classification for your device and permits your device to proceed to the market. This letter will allow you to begin marketing your device as described in your Section 510(k) premarket notification if the limitation statement described above is added to your labeling.
If your device is classified (see above) into either class II (Special Controls) or class III (PMA), it may be subject to additional controls. Existing major regulations affecting your device can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Parts 800 to 898. In addition, FDA may publish further announcements concerning your device in the Federal Register.
Please be advised that FDA's issuance of a substantial equivalence determination does not mean that FDA has made a determination that your device complies with other requirements of the Act or any Federal 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); medical device reporting (reporting of medical device-related adverse events) (21 CFR 803); good manufacturing practice requirements as set forth 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.
If you desire specific advice for your device on our labeling regulation (21 CFR Part 801), please go to http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/CDRH/CDRHOffices/ucm115809.htm for the Center for Devices and Radiological Health's (CDRH's) Office of Compliance. Also, please note the regulation entitled, "Misbranding by reference to premarket notification" (21CFR Part 807.97). For questions regarding the reporting of adverse events under the MDR regulation (21 CFR Part 803), please go to
http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/ReportaProblem/default.htm for the CDRH's Office of Surveillance and Biometrics/Division of Postmarket Surveillance.
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) 796-7100 or at its Internet address
http://www.fda.goy/MedicalDevices/Resourcesfor You/Industry/default.htm.
Sincerely yours,
Mark Mikkelsen
f
Christy Foreman Director Office of Device Evaluation Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Enclosure
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# Indications for Use
510(k) Number (if known): K112543
Device Name: WallFlex® Biliary Transhepatic Stent System
Indications For Use: The WallFlex Biliary Transhepatic Stent System is indicated for use in the palliative treatment of biliary strictures produced by malignant neoplasms.
Prescription Use
(Part 21 CFR 801 Subpart D)
AND/OR
Over-The-Counter Use (21 CFR 807 Subpart C)
(PLEASE DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE-CONTINUE ON ANOTHER PAGE IF NEEDED)
Concurrence of CDRH, Office of Device Evaluation (ODE)
ductive, Gastro-Renal, and 10(k) Numbe
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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.