scope:

This International Standard applies to the BASIC SAFETY and ESSENTIAL PERFORMANCE of AMBULATORY ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS, hereafter referred to as ME SYSTEMS If a clause or subclause is specifically intended to be applicable to ME EQUIPMENT only, or to ME SYSTEMS only, the title and content of that clause or subclause will say so.

If that is not the case, the clause or subclause applies both to ME EQUIPMENT and to ME SYSTEMS, as relevant.

HAZARDS inherent in the intended physiological function of ME EQUIPMENT or ME SYSTEMS within the scope of this standard are not covered by specific requirements in this standard except in 7.2.13 and 8.4.1 of the general standard.

NOTE See also 4.2 of the general standard. Within the scope of this standard are systems of the following types:

a) systems that provide continuous recording and continuous analysis of the ECG allowing full re-analysis giving essentially similar results. The systems may first record and store the ECG and analyse it later on a separate unit, or record and analyse the ECG simultaneously. The type of storage media used is irrelevant with regard to this standard;

b) systems that provide continuous analysis and only partial or limited recording not allowing a full re-analysis of the ECG. The safety aspects of this standard apply to all types of systems falling in one of the abovementioned categories. If the AMBULATORY ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC SYSTEM offers automatic ECG analysis, minimal performance requirements for measurement and analysis functions apply. MEDICAL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT covered by IEC 60601-2-25 and IEC 60601-2-27 are excluded from the scope of this standard.

This standard does not apply to systems that do not continuously record and analyse the ECG (for example, 'intermittent event recorders').