Model number (# in a box)
The standard’s wording, as the sources below reproduce it:
“Indicates the model number or type number of a product.”
ISO 15223-1:2021, 5.1.10 · IEC 60417-6050
What it means for you
The text after the boxed # names the model, the design the device belongs to. It is the number to use when looking up a manual, compatible accessories or whether a safety notice applies to your type of device.
Whether a device is right for you is a question for your pharmacist, nurse or doctor.
- What it looks like
- A hash sign (#) inside a rectangle, followed by the model or type designation.
- Where you see it
- Rating plates and boxes of electrical devices such as meters, monitors, nebulisers and hearing-aid chargers.
- Other names
- type number; model no.
What it does not tell you
It does not identify your unit (that is SN) or the pack size or variant you ordered (that is REF).
Often confused with
Indicates the manufacturer’s catalogue number so that the medical device can be identified.
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 5.1.10 “Model number — Indicates the model number or type number of a product”, image labelled IEC 60417-6050 (a # in a box). Checked 2026-09-25.
- NE Scientific: Master Symbol Glossary (CTF-100011 Rev 01) — ISO 15223-1:2021 reference no. 5.1.10 (IEC 60417-6050): “To identify the model number or type number of a product … the model number or type number of the product should be accompanied with this symbol.” Checked 2026-09-25.
- SafeSource Direct: Medical Device Symbols Glossary — “Model Number — Indicates the model number or type number of a product. ISO 15223-1: 2021 Reference no. 5.1.10.” Checked 2026-09-25.
Plain-language parts are in our own words; quotations are the sources’ wording.