Contains nano materials
The standard’s wording, as the sources below reproduce it:
“Indicates a medical device that contains nano materials.”
ISO 15223-1:2021, 5.4.11 · ISO 7000-3703
What it means for you
The device contains a nanomaterial — particles with at least one dimension roughly between 1 and 100 nanometres — such as nano-silver in a dressing or nano-hydroxyapatite in a bone filler.
Whether a device is right for you is a question for your pharmacist, nurse or doctor.
- What it looks like
- The rounded, point-down triangle filled with a cluster of small linked circles.
- Where you see it
- Some antimicrobial dressings and coatings, bone fillers and dental materials.
- Other names
- nano; nanomaterial; circles in a triangle
What it does not tell you
It does not name the material or say whether any is released; the instructions for use do. It is not the “(nano)” note after a cosmetic ingredient, which is a different EU rule.
More symbols in “A rounded triangle”
Sources
ISO 15223-1 is a paid standard, so the wording above is quoted as 3 publishers’ public documents reproduce it. Each was fetched and read on the date shown:
- Boston Scientific: Symbols Glossary — ISO 15223-1 5.4.11 “Contains nano materials — Indicates a medical device that contains nano materials.” Checked 2026-09-28.
- STERIS: STERIS Product Labeling, SCS-145, Exhibit A: Symbol Glossary — Shows the triangle filled with linked circles for I.S. EN ISO 15223-1:2021 5.4.11, “Indicates a medical device that contains nano materials”. Checked 2026-09-28.
- MedTech Europe: Use of Symbols to Indicate Compliance with the MDR, version 3.0 (November 2021) — Lists “Contains nano materials (3703)” and explains the MDR’s attention to nanomaterials (Annex I, chapter II, 10.6). Checked 2026-09-28.
Plain-language parts are in our own words; quotations are the sources’ wording.