(8 days)
The intended use of the Invacare Model Solara Jr. Manual Wheelchair is to provide mobility to children limited to a sitting position.
The Invacare Corporation Model Solara Jr. is a manually operated, attendant propelled, manual, mechanical wheelchair. It's intended function and use is to provide mobility to children who may need very specialized seating systems and tilt to assist in positioning and feeding.
The product consists of an aluminum frame, various options of rear wheel sizes, and smaller front pivoting casters for steering and turning. The product is designed to be a lightweight, user adaptable, everyday wheelchair, for both indoor and outdoor use. This device is a rigid, ason folding type of wheelchair that incorporates a solid seating surface. This type of seat makes the chair easily adaptable to the various types of wheelchair cushions and seating systems currently available in the market. The upholstery, when provided by Invacare, meets the requirements of both the California Bureau of Home Furnishings 116 and 117 and the Boston Fire Department IX -1 Flammability Standards.
The Solara Jr. frame is constructed from aluminum tubing that is tig-welded. The frame is also secured with fasteners to allow the size of the chair to be adjusted as needed to accommodate the growth of the child. The homecare dealer can make many of the changes without additional parts.
The Solara Jr. also includes a "Tilt in Space" feature, which allows the seat and the back of the wheelchair to be tilted. This feature is used for those patients who require a tilt feature to help in positioning, comfort, or head control. It also serves as an attendant aid in those situations where the patient needs to be tilted, in order to be fed or attended to in some fashion. The Solara Jr. is primarily for attendant propelling. The attendant version of the chair is available with stroller type push handles for ease of attendant pushing and the optional stroller handles allows the attendant to push the chair while the occupant is tilted.
The "Tilt in Space" feature is manually operated and consists of two linear slides allowing the seat to tilt through a 50 degree range with little change in the overall center of gravity of the chair and the occupant. The tilting operation is initiated when the caregiver depresses the levers attached to the push handles. The levers in turn actuate cables that disengage a pair of latch mechanisms mounted to two of the frame rails. Once the desired tilt angle has been obtained, the handles are released and the chair will remain at the angle chosen. The seat tilt range is from -5 degrees anterior through 45 degrees posterior.
The chair also has a recline only operation which changes the angle between the seat pan and the back of the chair. The chair is reclined by pulling up on the handles of the recliner cable assemblies to activate the gas cylinders and then slowly squeezing the handles of the recliner cables assemblies and allowing the back to recline at the desired angle. When the back is at the desired angle the handles are released.
This 510(k) submission pertains to a manual wheelchair, not a sophisticated AI-powered diagnostic or treatment device, therefore many of the requested categories (such as MRMC studies, training set details, or ground truth establishment by experts) are not applicable. The provided document focuses on demonstrating substantial equivalence to predicate devices through performance testing against established industry standards.
Here's the information extracted and detailed as much as possible given the nature of the device:
1. Table of Acceptance Criteria and Reported Device Performance
| Acceptance Criterion (Standard) | Reported Device Performance |
|---|---|
| Material/Component Standards: | |
| California Bureau of Home Furnishings 116 Flammability Standards | Upholstery meets these requirements (if provided by Invacare). |
| California Bureau of Home Furnishings 117 Flammability Standards | Upholstery meets these requirements (if provided by Invacare). |
| Boston Fire Department IX-1 Flammability Standards | Upholstery meets these requirements (if provided by Invacare). |
| Functional/Performance Standards: | |
| Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America (RESNA) Standard | Device meets the "Requirements and Test Methods for Wheelchairs (Including Scooters)" ANSI/RESNA WC/Vol.1-1996. |
2. Sample Size Used for the Test Set and Data Provenance
The document does not explicitly state the sample size used for testing or the data provenance. Typically, for mechanical devices, testing involves a representative number of units to demonstrate compliance with standards. It's likely that the testing was performed on a sample of the Invacare Model Solara Jr. Manual Wheelchair. The testing would have been conducted by Invacare Corporation (the manufacturer) or a contracted lab, making it internal to the company's development and regulatory process.
3. Number of Experts Used to Establish Ground Truth for the Test Set and Their Qualifications
Not applicable. For a manual wheelchair, "ground truth" related to expert clinical interpretation (as for an AI diagnostic device) is not relevant. The device's performance is assessed against engineering and safety standards, not clinical diagnostic accuracy. Compliance with RESNA standards involves engineering and physical testing, not expert consensus on medical findings.
4. Adjudication Method for the Test Set
Not applicable. This concept typically applies to medical image or diagnostic interpretation where multiple experts might disagree. For mechanical device testing, results are typically objective measurements against a defined standard.
5. If a Multi-Reader Multi-Case (MRMC) Comparative Effectiveness Study Was Done
Not applicable. An MRMC study is relevant for AI systems that aid in diagnostic interpretation. This device is a manual wheelchair, and its effectiveness is related to its mechanical function, safety, and compliance with standards, not its comparative diagnostic accuracy with or without AI assistance.
6. If a Standalone Performance Study Was Done
Yes, in a sense. The "Performance Data" section indicates that the device's performance was evaluated against the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America (RESNA) Standard ANSI/RESNA WC/Vol.1-1996 "Requirements and Test Methods for Wheelchairs (Including Scooters)." This constitutes a standalone study of the device's physical and functional characteristics against an established benchmark, independent of human interaction other than operation during the test.
7. The Type of Ground Truth Used
The "ground truth" in this context refers to the established engineering and safety requirements and test methods outlined in the ANSI/RESNA WC/Vol.1-1996 standard. The device's physical and functional attributes (e.g., stability, durability, maneuverability, tilt mechanism's range and ease of use, flammability of materials) were tested against the specific parameters and thresholds defined within this standard.
8. The Sample Size for the Training Set
Not applicable. This device does not involve machine learning or an AI algorithm, so there is no "training set."
9. How the Ground Truth for the Training Set Was Established
Not applicable, as there is no training set for this type of medical device.
§ 890.3850 Mechanical wheelchair.
(a)
Identification. A mechanical wheelchair is a manually operated device with wheels that is intended for medical purposes to provide mobility to persons restricted to a sitting position.(b)
Classification. Class I (general controls).