K973283 · Innovative Technologies , Ltd. · KMF · Oct 21, 1997 · General Hospital
Device Facts
Record ID
K973283
Device Name
ALGINATE/ZINC WOUND DRESSING
Applicant
Innovative Technologies , Ltd.
Product Code
KMF · General Hospital
Decision Date
Oct 21, 1997
Decision
SN
Submission Type
Traditional
Regulation
21 CFR 880.5090
Device Class
Class 1
Attributes
Therapeutic
Indications for Use
Innovative Technologies Alginate / Zinc Wound Dressings may be used for the management of moderate to heavily exuding partial to full thickness wounds such as: - Pressure Ulcers . - Arterial Ulcers .. ● - . Venous Ulcers - . Diabetic Ulcers - . l st & 2nd Degree Burns - Donor Sites . - . Trauma Wounds - Dermal Lesions
Device Story
Innovative Technologies' Alginate / Zinc Wound Dressing is a sterile, non-woven, conformable primary wound dressing. It consists of alginate fibers combined with zinc. When applied to a wound, the dressing reacts with wound exudate to form a dispersible, gelatinous mass, creating a moist healing environment. This gel facilitates easy removal during dressing changes, minimizing potential damage to delicate peri-wound tissue. The device is intended for use by healthcare professionals in clinical settings for the management of moderate to heavily exuding wounds. It is supplied in single-use pouches and sterilized via gamma radiation. The dressing is not intended for use on 3rd degree burns, nor is it labeled as a treatment, cure, or artificial skin.
Clinical Evidence
No clinical data provided. Safety and effectiveness were established based on previous biocompatibility testing and the market history of the component products (Dermagran and Al-Gen).
Technological Characteristics
Non-woven calcium alginate fiber dressing with zinc and B-6 additives. Surface is needled/nip rolled. Dispersible integrity. Sterilized via gamma radiation per ANSI/AAMI/ISO11137-1994 (Method 1). Supplied in paper/paper or poly/poly pouches.
Indications for Use
Indicated for management of moderate to heavily exuding partial to full thickness wounds, including pressure, arterial, venous, and diabetic ulcers, 1st and 2nd degree burns, donor sites, trauma wounds, and dermal lesions. Not indicated for 3rd degree burns.
Regulatory Classification
Identification
A liquid bandage is a sterile device that is a liquid, semiliquid, or powder and liquid combination used to cover an opening in the skin or as a dressing for burns. The device is also used as a topical skin protectant.
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OCT 2 1 1997
K973283
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## Innovative Technologies Ltd
Innovative Technologies' Alginate / Zinc Wound Dressing
Safety & Effectiveness Summary: Classification Name: Common / Usual Name: Contact: Prepared:
KMF Liquid Bandage Alginate Wound Dressing Priscilla Whitehead Cox, Director of QA/RA Friday, August 29, 1997 Innovative Technologies' Alginate / Zinc Wound Dressings is a combination of two products with existing 510(k)s: Dermagran™ Zinc-Saline Wet Dressing manufactured by Derma Sciences, 510(k) #K913344 and Innovative Technologies' Al-Gen™ Calcium Alginate Wound Dressing, 510(k) #K953781. Innovative Technologies' Alginate / Zinc Wound Dressings is a highly conformable, sterile, primary wound dressings intended to provide an environment ideally suited for the management of moderate to heavily exuding partial to full thickness wounds. The non-woven Alginate / Zinc fibre preparation, which includes various sizes of flat dressings and wound packing, reacts with wound exudate to form an dispersable, gelatinous, mass providing for a moist healing environment. The gel may easily be rinsed away from the wound, reducing the potential for delicate peri-wound fissue damage during dressing changes.
Dressings are supplied sterile in single use pouches. Product is gamma irradiated in accordance with ANSI/AAMI/ISO11137-1994 Sterilisation Of Health Care Products - Requirements For Validation and Routine Control - Radiation Sterilisation, 3rd Edition, Method 1 for dosimetric release with a sterility assurance level of 10-6
Previous biocompatibility testing and use in the market place have shown safety and effectiveness of the two products.
The Innovative Technologies' Alginate / Zinc Wound Dressings are similar in design, composition and function to Dermagran ™ Zinc-Saline Wet Dressing manufactured by Derma Sciences, . . and Innovative Technologies' Al-Gen™ Calcium Alginate Wound Dressing, 510(k) #K953781.
## COMPARATIVE FEATURES
| Characteristics<br>Material | IT Alginate/Zinc<br>Calcium Alginate / | Dermagran™<br>Cotton Gauze / | Al-Gen™<br>Calcium Alginate |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| Non-Theraputic<br>Additives | Zinc / B-6 | Zinc / B-6 Saline<br>Moisturizing Solution | N / A |
| Surface | Needled / nip rolled | Woven / Wet | Needled / nip rolled |
| Integrity | Dispersable | Integral | Dispersable |
| Indications | Moderate to severe | Management of | Moderate to severe |
| | exuding wounds, eg. | venous stasis ulcers, | exuding wounds, eg. |
| | pressure, venous | surgical incisions, | pressure ulcers |
| | diabetic and arterial | pressure sores, | wounds, leg ulcers, |
| | ulcers, donor sites, | minor thermal burns, | abrasions, donor |
| | trauma wounds, | superficial lacerations, | sites, lacerations |
| | dermal lesions and | cuts and abrasions, | incisions, 1st and |
| | incisions, 1st & 2nd | other superficial | 2nd degree burns, |
| | degree burns | injuries | trauma wounds |
| Packaging | Paper / Paper or<br>Poly / Poly Pouch | Foil /Foil<br>Pouch | Paper / Paper or<br>Poly / Poly Pouch |
| Sterilisation Method | Gamma Radiation | Steam | Gamma Radiation |
Head Office
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Food and Drug Administration 9200 Corporate Boulevard Rockville MD 20856
Ms. Priscilla Whitehead Cox Director, Quality Assurance/Regulatory Affairs Innovative Technologies, Ltd Road Three, Winsford Industrial Estate Winsford, Cheshire CW7 3PD England
OCT 21 1997
Re: K973283
> Innovative Technologies Alginate/Zinc Wound Dressing Regulatory Class: Unclassified Product Code: KMF Dated: August 29, 1997 Received: September 2, 1997
Dear Ms. Cox:
We have reviewed your Section 510(k) notification of intent to market the device referenced above and we have determined the device is substantially equivalent (for the indications for use stated in the enclosure) to 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 (the Act). You may, therefore, market your device subject to the general controls provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Act) and the following limitations:
- 1. This device may not be labeled for use on third degree burns.
- 2. This device may not be labeled as having any accelerating effect on the rate of wound healing or epithelization.
- 3. This device may not be labeled as a long-term, permanent, or no-change dressing, or as an artificial (synthetic) skin.
- 4. This device may not be labeled as a treatment or a cure for any type of wound.
The labeling claims listed above would be considered a major modification in the intended use of the device and would require a premarket notification submission (21 CFR 807.81).
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## Page 2 - Ms. Priscilla Whitehead Cox
The general controls provisions of the Act include requirements for annual registration, listing of devices, good manufacturing practices, labeling, and prohibitions against misbranding and adulteration.
If your device is classified (see above) into either class II (Special Controls) or class III (Premarket Approval) it may be subject to such additional controls. Existing major regulations affecting your device can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 21, Parts 800 to 895. A substantially equivalent determination assumes compliance with the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for Medical Devices: General GMP regulation (21 CFR Part 820) and that, through periodic GMP inspections, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will verify such assumptions. Failure to comply with the GMP regulation may result in regulatory action. In addition, FDA may publish further announcements concerning your device in the Federal Register. Please note: this response to your premarket notification submission does not affect any obligation you might have under sections 531 through 542 of the Act for devices under the Electronic Product Radiation Control provisions, or other Federal laws or regulations.
This letter will allow you to begin marketing your device as described in your 510(k) premarket notification. The FDA finding of substantial equivalence of your device to a legally marketed predicate 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 and additionally 809.10 for in vitro diagnostic devices), please contact the Office of Compliance at (301) 594-4595. Additionally, for questions on the promotion and advertising of your device, please contact the Office of Compliance at (301) 594-4639. Also, please note the regulation entitled, "Misbranding by reference to premarket notification" (21 CFR 807.97). Other general information on your responsibilities under the Act may be obtained from the Division of Small Manufacturers Assistance at its toll-free number (800) 638-2041 or 301-443-6597 or at its internet address http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/dsmamain.html.
Sincerely yours,
to see fo
Celia M. Witten, Ph.D., M.D. Director Division of General and Restorative Devices Office of Device Evaluation Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Enclosure
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Page lof 1
510(k) Number (if known): K973283
Device name: Innovative Technologies' Alginate / Zinc Wound Dressing
Indications For Use:
Innovative Technologies Alginate / Zinc Wound Dressings may be used for the management of moderate to heavily exuding partial to full thickness wounds such as:
- Pressure Ulcers .
- Arterial Ulcers .. ●
- . Venous Ulcers
- . Diabetic Ulcers
- . l st & 2nd Degree Burns
- Donor Sites .
- . Trauma Wounds
- Dermal Lesions
## (PLEASE DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE. CONTINUE ON ANOTHER PAGE IF NEEDED)
Concurrence of CDRH, Office of Device Evaluation (ODE)

| (Division Sign-Off) | |
|-----------------------------------------|---------|
| Division of General Restorative Devices | |
| 510(k) Number | K973283 |
| Prescription Use (Per 21 CFR 801.109) | <div style="text-decoration: line-through;"></div> |
|---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| OR Over The Counter Use | |
(Optional Format 1-2-96)
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.