Keep dry (umbrella)
The standard’s wording, as the sources below reproduce it:
“Indicates a medical device that needs to be protected from moisture.”
ISO 15223-1:2021, 5.3.4 · ISO 7000-0626
What it means for you
Keep the pack dry. Moisture can spoil test strips and rapid tests and can weaken the sterile barrier of paper-backed pouches — which is why a bathroom cabinet is a poor store for many of these products.
Whether a device is right for you is a question for your pharmacist, nurse or doctor.
- What it looks like
- An open umbrella with rain drops falling on it.
- Where you see it
- Glucose and urine test strips, rapid antigen and pregnancy tests, sterile dressings.
- Other names
- protect from moisture; keep away from rain
What it does not tell you
It gives no humidity figure; when a range matters the humidity-limitation mark states it.
Often confused with
Indicates the range of humidity to which the medical device can be safely exposed.
More symbols in “Umbrella, sun or glass”
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 5.3.4 “Keep dry — Indicates a medical device that needs to be protected from moisture.” Image labelled ISO 7000-0626. Checked 2026-09-25.
- Stago: Glossary of symbols (520233-A_EN) — “Keep dry — Indicates a medical device that needs to be protected from moisture. NF EN ISO 15223-1, symbol #5.3.4.” Checked 2026-09-25.
- BÜHLMANN Laboratories: Symbol glossary, version 03 (release date 2025-02-04) — “Keep dry — Indicates a medical device that needs to be protected from moisture.” Checked 2026-09-25.
Plain-language parts are in our own words; quotations are the sources’ wording.