Serial number (SN)
The standard’s wording, as the sources below reproduce it:
“Indicates the manufacturer’s serial number so that a specific medical device can be identified.”
ISO 15223-1:2021, 5.1.7 · ISO 7000-2498
What it means for you
Unlike LOT, a serial number belongs to one single device. It appears on equipment you keep — meters, pumps, hearing aids, implants — and is what the maker needs for a warranty, repair or a recall that affects individual units.
Whether a device is right for you is a question for your pharmacist, nurse or doctor.
- What it looks like
- The letters SN inside a rectangle, followed by a number unique to that one unit.
- Where you see it
- Rating plates and battery compartments of blood-glucose meters, blood-pressure monitors and other electrical devices; implant cards; the box of reusable equipment.
- Other names
- serial no.; S/N; SN
What it does not tell you
It does not say when or where the unit was made, and it is not a warranty in itself. Disposable items usually carry a LOT instead.
Often confused with
Indicates the manufacturer’s batch code so that the batch or lot 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 5.1.7 “Serial number — Indicates the manufacturer’s serial number so that a specific medical device can be identified.” Image labelled ISO 7000-2498. Checked 2026-09-25.
- NE Scientific: Master Symbol Glossary (CTF-100011 Rev 01) — Shows SN in a box for reference no. 5.1.7 (ISO 7000-2498). Checked 2026-09-25.
- Stago: Glossary of symbols (520233-A_EN) — “Serial number — Indicates the manufacturer's serial number so that a specific medical device can be identified. NF EN ISO 15223-1, symbol #5.1.7.” Checked 2026-09-25.
Plain-language parts are in our own words; quotations are the sources’ wording.