EN 60601 or IEC 60601 is the European harmonized standard to meet the Medical Device Directive. EN 60601 applies to the basic safety and essential performance of medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems. While this standard is broadly considered all encompassing, it is important to note that in addition to EN 60601, there are dozens of additional standards that address unique features and characteristics of medical devices.

The testing completed under EN 60601 includes the following:

• Electro-static Discharge
• Radiated Immunity
• Fast Transient
• Surge
• Conducted Immunity
• Power Frequency Magnetic Fields (voltage dips, interruptions and variations)

There are several clauses within EN 60601 that require increased attention. One of these clauses states, “the essential performance of equipment and systems shall be identified by a risk analysis. If the risk analysis is not performed, all functions of the equipment or system shall be considered essential performance for the purpose of immunity testing.” Essential performance is defined in the standard as “performance characteristics necessary to maintain the Residual Risk within acceptable limits”. Essential performance should be determined by a risk analysis. If a risk analysis is not completed, all functions of the medical device shall be considered essential.

It should be noted that EN 60601 places the burden of determining pass or fail on the device manufacturer, not the EMC test lab, since ultimately the medical device manufacturer determines which functions are essential performance.

EN 60601 presents unique challenges to medical device manufacturers.

Requirement:	Description:
IEC 60417:	Graphical symbols for use on equipment
IEC 60601-1:	2005 Medical electrical equipment – Part 1: General requirements for basic safety and essential performance
IEC 60601-1-8:	2006 Medical electrical equipment – Part 1-8: General requirements for basic safety and essential performance – Collateral standard: General requirements, tests and guidance for alarm systems in medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems
IEC 61000-3-2, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 3-2	Limits – Limits for harmonic current emissions (equipment input current ? 16 A per phase)
IEC 61000-3-3, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 3-3:	Limits – Limitation of voltage fluctuations and flicker in low-voltage supply systems for equipment with rated current ? 16 A
IEC 61000-4-2, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-2:	Testing and measurement techniques – Electrostatic discharge immunity test
IEC 61000-4-3, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-3:	Testing and measurement techniques – Radiated, radio-frequency, electromagnetic field immunity test
IEC 61000-4-4, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-4:	Testing and measurement techniques – Electrical fast transient/burst immunity test
IEC 61000-4-5, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-5:	Testing and measurement techniques – Surge immunity test
IEC 61000-4-6:2003, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-6:	Testing and measurement techniques – Immunity to conducted disturbances, induced by radio-frequency fields
IEC 61000-4-8, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-8:	Testing and measurement techniques – Power frequency magnetic field immunity test
IEC 61000-4-11, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-11:	Testing and measuring techniques – Voltage dips, short interruptions and voltage variations immunity tests
CISPR 11:	Industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio-frequency equipment – Electromagnetic disturbance characteristics – Limits and methods of measurement
CISPR 14-1:	Electromagnetic compatibility – Requirements for household appliances, electric tools and similar apparatus – Part 1: Emission
CISPR 15:	Limits and methods of measurement of radio disturbance characteristics of electrical lighting and similar equipment
CISPR 16-1-2:	Specification for radio disturbance and immunity measuring apparatus and methods – Part 1-2: Radio disturbance and immunity measuring apparatus – Ancillary equipment – Conducted disturbancesCISPR 22, Information technology equipment – Radio disturbance characteristics – Limits and methods of measurement

Included below are all of the sections of IEC 60601-1:

• IEC 60601-1-1 Medical systems
• IEC 60601-1-2 EMC risks
• IEC 60601-1-3 Radiology
• IEC 60601-1-4 Software
• IEC 60601-1-6 Usability
• IEC 60601-1-8 Alarms
• IEC 60601-1-9 Environment
• IEC 60601-1-10 Closed loop controllers
• IEC 60601-1-11 Home health care
• IEC 60601-2-1 Electron accelerators
• IEC 60601-2-2 High frequency surgical equipment
• IEC 60601-2-3 Short-wave therapy equipment
• IEC 60601-2-4 Cardiac defibrillators and cardiac defibrillator monitors
• IEC 60601-2-5 Ultrasonic physiotherapy equipment
• IEC 60601-2-6 Microwave therapy equipment
• IEC 60601-2-7 High voltage generators of diagnostic X-ray generators
• IEC 60601-2-8 Therapeutic X-ray equipment
• IEC 60601-2-9 Patient contact dosimeters
• IEC 60601-2-10 Nerve and muscle stimulators
• IEC 60601-2-11 Gamma beam therapy equipment
• IEC 60601-2-12 Lung ventilators
• IEC 60601-2-13 Anesthetic machines
• IEC 60601-2-16 Haemodialysis, haemodiafiltration and haemofiltration equipment
• IEC 60601-2-17 Remote-controlled automatically-driven gamma-ray after-loading equipment
• IEC 60601-2-18 Endoscopic equipment
• IEC 60601-2-19 Infant incubators
• IEC 60601-2-20 Infant transport incubators
• IEC 60601-2-21 Infant radiant warmers
• IEC 60601-2-22 Surgical, cosmetic, therapeutic and diagnostic laser equipment
• IEC 60601-2-23 Transcutaneous partial pressure monitoring equipment
• IEC 60601-2-24 Infusion pumps and controllers
• IEC 60601-2-25 Electrocardiographs
• IEC 60601-2-26 Electroencephalographs
• IEC 60601-2-27 Electrocardiographic monitoring equipment
• IEC 60601-2-28 X-ray tube assemblies for medical diagnostics
• IEC 60601-2-29 Radiotherapy simulators
• IEC 80601-2-30 Automated non-invasive sphygmomanometers
• IEC 60601-2-31 External cardiac pacemakers with internal power source
• IEC 60601-2-32 X-ray equipment
• IEC 60601-2-33 Magnetic resonance equipment for medical diagnosis
• IEC 60601-2-34 Direct blood pressure monitoring equipment
• IEC 60601-2-35 Heating devices using blankets, pads, mattresses
• IEC 60601-2-36 Extracorporeally induced lithotripsy
• IEC 60601-2-37 Ultrasonic medical diagnostic and monitoring equipment
• IEC 60601-2-38 Electrically operated hospital beds
• IEC 60601-2-39 Peritoneal dialysis equipment
• IEC 60601-2-40 Electromyographs and evoked response equipment
• IEC 60601-2-41 Surgical luminaires and luminaires for diagnosis
• IEC 60601-2-43 X-ray equipment for interventional procedures
• IEC 60601-2-44 X-ray equipment for computed tomography
• IEC 60601-2-45 Mammographic X-ray equipment and mammographic stereotactic devices
• IEC 60601-2-46 Operating tables
• IEC 60601-2-47 Ambulatory electrocardiographic monitors
• IEC 60601-2-49 Multiparameter patient monitoring equipment
• IEC 60601-2-50 Infant phototherapy equipment
• IEC 60601-2-51 Recording and analyzing single and multichannel electrocardiographs
• IEC 60601-2-52 Medical beds
• IEC 60601-2-53 Computer assisted electrocardiography communication protocol
• IEC 60601-2-54 X-ray equipment for radiography and radioscopy
• IEC 60601-2-55 Respiratory gas monitoring equipment