Page History

The decision of the joint IHTSDO Management Board and General Assembly in October 2010 was to work towards a harmonisation agreement with the GMDN Agency, owners of the Global Medical Devices Nomenclature (GMDN), with the intention that the content of GMDN be integrated with the basic terminological content of the medical devices component of the International Release of SNOMED CT. With this strategic decision also came the commitment to work towards updating the medical devices data within the SNOMED CT International Release, utilising GMDN data as the fundamental building blocks for population. 

Global Medical Devices Nomenclature

The Global Medical Devices Nomenclature (GMDN) is an international standard for identifying all medical devices at the generic level in a meaningful manner that can be understood by all users. On 1st November 2001 the Global Medical Device Nomenclature was published as a CEN Report (CR 14230) and as ISO Technical Specification (TS 20225). The first public release on CD-ROM was GMDN version 2002.1 in November 2002. In June 2010 ISO published the latest version of ISO 15225 Nomenclature – Medical device nomenclature data structure.

The GMDN is managed by the GMDN Agency (GMDNA) which is a not-for-profit organisation.

Services provided by the GMDN Agency to their subscribed users are:

• Access to the GMDN data file and codes through the GMDN Internet site through a licence agreement and/or by direct credit card purchase.
• A link from the GMDN database to the user’s in-house data system by a licence agreement and a purpose made software link.
• Application form for new terms or modification of existing terms/definition for the identification of the user’s product.
• Access to GMDN terminology and information.
• Guidance on how to use the GMDN.
• Assistance to find an applicable GMDN code for a product.
• Access to Collective terms.
• GMDN translation software tool.

Definition of a Device

In the context of the SNOMED CT International Release a medical device is any physical object that is useful for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. As such it includes any physical object that is used in relation to patient care that is not a medicine.

Examples of medical devices include:

• Registered medical devices such as orthopaedic implants, arterial stents and pacemakers
• Medical devices sometimes referred to as “Appliances”  e.g. colostomy bags, catheters
• Medical devices used in community settings such as needles and test equipment
• Medical devices used in hospital settings such as peritoneal dialysis equipment and supplies
• Medical devices such as diagnostic scanners and therapeutic nuclear medicine machines
• Any other medical device that may need to be recorded as relevant to the clinical care of the patient such as hospital beds and ambulances

GMDN Updates

1. Monthly Content update per delivery schedule for SNOMED CT International Edition, content scope is confined within International Release cutoff time periods.

International release schedule - Jan and July of each year.

1. Simple Map package (Linkage Table)

1. A proposed plan and approach to achieve a draft model for Medical Devices.
2. A draft model for Medical Devices.
   *The responsibility of this initiative is under the leadership of the Modelling AG

1.Complete Oct 2016

2. Oct 2017 - This initiative is stalled due to inability to gain consensus on scope of model.

GMDN Updates

Monthly Content update per delivery schedule for SNOMED CT International Edition, content scope is confined within International Release cutoff time periods.

International release schedule - Jan and July of each year.

GMDN Updates

Monthly Content update per delivery schedule for SNOMED CT International Edition, content scope is confined within International Release cutoff time periods.

January

GMDN Updates

Monthly Content update per delivery schedule for SNOMED CT International Edition, content scope is confined within International Release cutoff time periods.

July