Title 21Food and DrugsRelease 119-73

§1602 Definitions

Title 21 › Chapter CHAPTER 21— - BIOMATERIALS ACCESS ASSURANCE › § 1602

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines important words used in the implant rules so people know who and what the law talks about. Biomaterials supplier: a company that provides parts or raw stuff used to make an implant, including those who file master files for device approval or who license others to make those parts. Claimant: anyone who files a lawsuit (or on whose behalf one is filed) claiming harm from an implant; this can include the deceased person’s estate or a parent/guardian for a child, but not certain health care providers when the implant is only incidental to their services, not manufacturers/sellers/suppliers acting in those roles, or most claims about silicone gel or the silicone envelope in silicone-gel breast implants (and that exclusion cannot be shown to a jury or used in court except to show this law applies). Component part: a manufactured piece of an implant, including pieces that have other uses and only become part of an implant when combined. Harm: any injury, illness, death, or loss caused by the injury, but not business losses or damage to the implant itself. Implant: a medical device meant to be inside a body cavity for at least 30 days, or to touch bodily fluids or internal tissue through a surgical opening for less than 30 days, and also includes sutures used in implant operations. Manufacturer: a person or company that makes or processes an implant and must register and list the device with the Secretary. Medical device: a device as defined elsewhere in law, including device parts of combination products. Raw material: a substance with general uses that can be used for things other than implants. Secretary: the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Seller: a business that sells, distributes, leases, packages, labels, or otherwise puts an implant into commerce, but not a real estate seller, certain health care providers when the implant is incidental to their services, or someone acting only as a financier.

Full Legal Text

Title 21, §1602

Food and Drugs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

As used in this chapter:
(1)(A)The term “biomaterials supplier” means an entity that directly or indirectly supplies a component part or raw material for use in the manufacture of an implant.
(B)Such term includes any person who—
(i)has submitted master files to the Secretary for purposes of premarket approval of a medical device; or
(ii)licenses a biomaterials supplier to produce component parts or raw materials.
(2)(A)The term “claimant” means any person who brings a civil action, or on whose behalf a civil action is brought, arising from harm allegedly caused directly or indirectly by an implant, including a person other than the individual into whose body, or in contact with whose blood or tissue, the implant is placed, who claims to have suffered harm as a result of the implant.
(B)With respect to an action brought on behalf of or through the estate of a deceased individual into whose body, or in contact with whose blood or tissue the implant was placed, such term includes the decedent that is the subject of the action.
(C)With respect to an action brought on behalf of or through a minor or incompetent, such term includes the parent or guardian of the minor or incompetent.
(D)Such term does not include—
(i)a provider of professional health care services in any case in which—
(I)the sale or use of an implant is incidental to such services; and
(II)the essence of the professional health care services provided is the furnishing of judgment, skill, or services;
(ii)a person acting in the capacity of a manufacturer, seller, or biomaterials supplier; or
(iii)a person alleging harm caused by either the silicone gel or the silicone envelope utilized in a breast implant containing silicone gel, except that—
(I)neither the exclusion provided by this clause nor any other provision of this chapter may be construed as a finding that silicone gel (or any other form of silicone) may or may not cause harm; and
(II)the existence of the exclusion under this clause may not—
(aa)be disclosed to a jury in any civil action or other proceeding; and
(bb)except as necessary to establish the applicability of this chapter, otherwise be presented in any civil action or other proceeding.
(3)(A)The term “component part” means a manufactured piece of an implant.
(B)Such term includes a manufactured piece of an implant that—
(i)has significant non-implant applications; and
(ii)alone, has no implant value or purpose, but when combined with other component parts and materials, constitutes an implant.
(4)(A)The term “harm” means—
(i)any injury to or damage suffered by an individual;
(ii)any illness, disease, or death of that individual resulting from that injury or damage; and
(iii)any loss to that individual or any other individual resulting from that injury or damage.
(B)The term does not include any commercial loss or loss of or damage to an implant.
(5)The term “implant” means—
(A)a medical device that is intended by the manufacturer of the device—
(i)to be placed into a surgically or naturally formed or existing cavity of the body for a period of at least 30 days; or
(ii)to remain in contact with bodily fluids or internal human tissue through a surgically produced opening for a period of less than 30 days; and
(B)suture materials used in implant procedures.
(6)The term “manufacturer” means any person who, with respect to an implant—
(A)is engaged in the manufacture, preparation, propagation, compounding, or processing (as defined in section 360(a)(1) of this title) of the implant; and
(B)is required—
(i)to register with the Secretary pursuant to section 360 of this title and the regulations issued under such section; and
(ii)to include the implant on a list of devices filed with the Secretary pursuant to section 360(j) of this title and the regulations issued under such section.
(7)The term “medical device” means a device, as defined in section 321(h) of this title, and includes any device component of any combination product as that term is used in section 353(g) of this title.
(8)The term “raw material” means a substance or product that—
(A)has a generic use; and
(B)may be used in an application other than an implant.
(9)The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(10)(A)The term “seller” means a person who, in the course of a business conducted for that purpose, sells, distributes, leases, packages, labels, or otherwise places an implant in the stream of commerce.
(B)The term does not include—
(i)a seller or lessor of real property;
(ii)a provider of professional health care services in any case in which—
(I)the sale or use of the implant is incidental to such services; and
(II)the essence of the professional health care services provided is the furnishing of judgment, skill, or services; or
(iii)any person who acts in only a financial capacity with respect to the sale of an implant.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section applicable to all civil actions covered under this chapter commenced on or after Aug. 13, 1998, including any in which the harm or harmful conduct occurred before such date, see section 8 of Pub. L. 105–230, set out as a note under section 1601 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

21 U.S.C. § 1602

Title 21Food and Drugs

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73