Become aware

Become aware means that an employee of the entity required to report has acquired information that reasonably suggests a reportable adverse event has occurred.
(1) If you are a device user facility, you are considered to have “become aware” when medical personnel, as defined in this section, who are employed by or otherwise formally affiliated with your facility, obtain information about a reportable event.
(2) If you are a manufacturer, you are considered to have become aware of an event when any of your employees becomes aware of a reportable event that is required to be reported within 30 calendar days or that is required to be reported within 5 work days because we had requested reports in accordance with § 803.53(b). You are also considered to have become aware of an event when any of your employees with management or supervisory responsibilities over persons with regulatory, scientific, or technical responsibilities, or whose duties relate to the collection and reporting of adverse events, becomes aware, from any information, including any trend analysis, that a reportable MDR event or events necessitates remedial action to prevent an unreasonable risk of substantial harm to the public health.
(3) If you are an importer, you are considered to have become aware of an event when any of your employees becomes aware of a reportable event that is required to be reported by you within 30 days.

Source

21 CFR § 803.3

Scoping language

Some of the terms we use in this part are specific to medical device reporting and reflect the language used in the statute . Other terms are more general and reflect our interpretation of the law. This section defines the following terms as used in this part: