Manufacturer (filled factory)
The standard’s wording, as the sources below reproduce it:
“Indicates the medical device manufacturer.”
ISO 15223-1:2021, 5.1.1 · ISO 7000-3082
What it means for you
The company printed next to the filled factory is the maker that answers for the device: the one to contact about a fault, a recall or a complaint. BÜHLMANN’s glossary adds the rule from the standard that the name and address of the manufacturer go adjacent to the symbol.
Whether a device is right for you is a question for your pharmacist, nurse or doctor.
- What it looks like
- A solid black factory: a sawtooth roof of three teeth rising to a tall chimney on the right. A name and address are printed beside it.
- Where you see it
- On the outer box and the label of almost every medical device and test kit: plasters, thermometers, glucose strips, syringes, pregnancy tests. Implant cards use it too, next to the maker’s name.
- Other names
- factory symbol; legal manufacturer; made by
What it does not tell you
It does not say where the product was made. The legal manufacturer can have the device made elsewhere, and the country of manufacture is a separate mark (an outline factory with a country code). Nor does it say who sold it to you: importer and distributor have their own symbols.
Often confused with
Indicates the date when the medical device was manufactured.
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 — Lists ISO 15223-1 5.1.1 “Manufacturer — Indicates the medical device manufacturer”, with the symbol image labelled ISO 7000-3082. Checked 2026-09-25.
- NE Scientific: Master Symbol Glossary (CTF-100011 Rev 01) — Shows the filled factory for ISO 15223-1:2021 reference no. 5.1.1 (ISO 7000-3082), “Manufacturer — Indicates the medical device manufacturer”. Checked 2026-09-25.
- BÜHLMANN Laboratories: Symbol glossary, version 03 (release date 2025-02-04) — “Manufacturer — Indicates the medical device manufacturer. This symbol shall be accompanied by the name and address of the manufacturer adjacent to the symbol.” Checked 2026-09-25.
Plain-language parts are in our own words; quotations are the sources’ wording.