Medical device (MD)
The standard’s wording, as the sources below reproduce it:
“Indicates the item is a medical device.”
ISO 15223-1:2021, 5.7.7
What it means for you
The product is regulated as a medical device, not as a medicine, cosmetic or ordinary consumer product. The EU Medical Devices Regulation requires the label to say so, and the boxed MD is the symbol for it. MedTech Europe notes it is included in ISO 15223-1:2021 but not in ISO 7000.
Whether a device is right for you is a question for your pharmacist, nurse or doctor.
- What it looks like
- The letters MD inside a rectangle.
- Where you see it
- EU packs of plasters, nasal sprays sold as devices, contact lenses, condoms, thermometers; implant cards.
- Other names
- MD; medical device symbol
What it does not tell you
It is not a quality or safety mark and says nothing about how well the product works. The CE mark is a separate mark.
Often confused with
Indicates a medical device that is intended to be used as an in vitro diagnostic medical device.
More symbols in “Letters”
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 5.7.7 “Medical device — Indicates the item is a medical device (under EU Legislation).” Checked 2026-09-25.
- NE Scientific: Master Symbol Glossary (CTF-100011 Rev 01) — Shows MD in a box for reference no. 5.7.7, “Indicates the item is a medical device”. Checked 2026-09-25.
- MedTech Europe: Use of Symbols to Indicate Compliance with the MDR, version 3.0 (November 2021) — Section 1 “Medical device — MDR, Annex 1, 23.2, q.”; Annex II: “included in ISO 15223-1:2021, not in ISO 7000”. Checked 2026-09-25.
Plain-language parts are in our own words; quotations are the sources’ wording.