ISO 6335-2:2026
(Main)Surgical instruments — Staplers — Part 2: General requirements
Surgical instruments — Staplers — Part 2: General requirements
This document specifies general requirements for staplers, including requirements for stapler classification, intended performance, design attributes, design evaluation, manufacturing, sterilization, packaging, information supplied by the manufacturer, and tests to demonstrate conformance with these requirements. This document is applicable to single-use staplers and reusable staplers. This document only applies to instruments that use staples.
Instruments chirurgicaux — Agrafeuses — Partie 2: Exigences générales
General Information
- Status
- Published
- Publication Date
- 04-Feb-2026
- Technical Committee
- ISO/TC 170 - Surgical instruments
- Drafting Committee
- ISO/TC 170 - Surgical instruments
- Current Stage
- 6060 - International Standard published
- Start Date
- 05-Feb-2026
- Due Date
- 13-Dec-2025
- Completion Date
- 05-Feb-2026
Overview
ISO 6335-2:2026 – Surgical instruments - Staplers - Part 2: General requirements establishes general requirements for surgical staplers, setting out key aspects such as classification, intended performance, design attributes, evaluation, manufacturing processes, sterilization, packaging, and information that must be supplied by the manufacturer. This international standard applies specifically to single-use and reusable staplers which utilize staples in surgical procedures. By providing a harmonized framework, ISO 6335-2:2026 aims to improve product quality, safety, and consistency in the global medical device market, particularly in the context of surgical instrumentation.
Key Topics
- Classification: Defines various types of staplers based on use (single-use/reusable), function (cutter/non-cutter), surgical mode (open/endoscopic), staple layout (linear/circular), and drive mode (manual/powered).
- Intended Performance: Specifies requirements for clear description of device purpose, applicable tissues, and surgical modes to ensure intended safety and usability.
- Design Attributes: Addresses key considerations in product design to meet performance and safety goals, including compatibility, feedback mechanisms, mis-operation prevention, and support for various surgical techniques.
- Materials: Requires materials to be selected for biocompatibility, performance, and durability, with reference to international material standards.
- Design Evaluation: Outlines processes for pre-clinical and clinical evaluation, as well as ongoing post-market surveillance to ensure ongoing compliance.
- Manufacturing Requirements: Calls for manufacturing processes to minimize contamination and support consistent, conforming products.
- Sterilization: Provides requirements for both manufacturer-supplied sterile products and user sterilization, with verification against designated international sterilization standards.
- Packaging: Stipulates that packaging must protect the device through distribution and storage, maintaining sterility and integrity.
- Manufacturer Information: Details necessary labelling, instructions for use, and disclosure regarding proper usage, storage, potential risks, and product combinations.
Applications
ISO 6335-2:2026 is an essential reference for various sectors:
- Medical Device Manufacturers: Ensures that staplers meet high standards of safety, efficacy, and regulatory compliance from design to distribution.
- Healthcare Providers and Facilities: Assists in selecting reliable, standardized surgical staplers that support consistent clinical outcomes and patient safety.
- Quality and Regulatory Professionals: Provides criteria for audits, risk management, post-market surveillance, and regulatory submissions.
- Testing and Certification Bodies: Offers a basis for conducting conformity assessment, product evaluation, and certification against internationally recognized benchmarks.
By adhering to the requirements in ISO 6335-2:2026, organizations can reduce product risk, support patient safety, and facilitate international market access for surgical stapling instruments.
Related Standards
ISO 6335-2:2026 is closely related to a range of standards addressing surgical instruments, materials, sterilization, and clinical evaluation, including:
- ISO 6335-1: Surgical instruments - Staplers - Part 1: Vocabulary
- ISO 5832-2: Implants for surgery - Metallic materials - Part 2: Unalloyed titanium
- ISO 10993 series: Biological evaluation of medical devices
- ISO 11135: Sterilization of health-care products - Ethylene oxide
- ISO 11137 series: Sterilization of health-care products - Radiation
- ISO 17664-1: Information for processing medical devices
- ISO 11607-1: Packaging for terminally sterilized medical devices
- ISO 14155: Clinical investigation of medical devices for human subjects
Implementing ISO 6335-2:2026 alongside these related standards promotes comprehensive quality management in the design, production, and lifecycle management of surgical staplers.
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Frequently Asked Questions
ISO 6335-2:2026 is a standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Its full title is "Surgical instruments — Staplers — Part 2: General requirements". This standard covers: This document specifies general requirements for staplers, including requirements for stapler classification, intended performance, design attributes, design evaluation, manufacturing, sterilization, packaging, information supplied by the manufacturer, and tests to demonstrate conformance with these requirements. This document is applicable to single-use staplers and reusable staplers. This document only applies to instruments that use staples.
This document specifies general requirements for staplers, including requirements for stapler classification, intended performance, design attributes, design evaluation, manufacturing, sterilization, packaging, information supplied by the manufacturer, and tests to demonstrate conformance with these requirements. This document is applicable to single-use staplers and reusable staplers. This document only applies to instruments that use staples.
ISO 6335-2:2026 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 11.040.30 - Surgical instruments and materials. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
ISO 6335-2:2026 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
International
Standard
ISO 6335-2
First edition
Surgical instruments — Staplers —
2026-02
Part 2:
General requirements
Instruments chirurgicaux — Agrafeuses —
Partie 2: Exigences générales
Reference number
© ISO 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
4 Classification . 2
5 Intended performance . 2
6 Design attributes . 2
7 Materials . 3
8 Design evaluation . 3
8.1 General .3
8.2 Pre-clinical evaluation . .3
8.3 Clinical evaluation .4
8.4 Post-market surveillance .4
9 Manufacture . 4
10 Sterilization . 4
10.1 General .4
10.2 Products supplied sterile .4
10.3 Sterilization by the user .5
10.3.1 Products supplied non-sterile .5
10.3.2 Re-sterilization .5
10.3.3 Sterilization residues.5
11 Packaging. 5
11.1 Protection from damage in storage and transportation .5
11.2 Maintenance of sterility in transit .5
12 Information supplied by the manufacturer . 6
12.1 General .6
12.2 Labelling .6
12.3 Instructions for use .6
12.4 Restrictions on combinations .7
12.5 Marking for special purposes .7
Bibliography . 8
iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 170, Surgical instruments.
A list of all parts in the ISO 6335 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
Introduction
This document covers general requirements for stapler design, evaluation, sterilization and packaging.
This document is aimed at improving the standardization of stapler design and production and reducing the
risks of stapler products.
v
International Standard ISO 6335-2:2026(en)
Surgical instruments — Staplers —
Part 2:
General requirements
1 Scope
This document specifies general requirements for staplers, including requirements for stapler classification,
intended performance, design attributes, design evaluation, manufacturing, sterilization, packaging,
information supplied by the manufacturer, and tests to demonstrate conformance with these requirements.
This document is applicable to single-use staplers and reusable staplers.
This document only applies to instruments that use staples.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 5832-2, Implants for surgery — Metallic materials — Part 2: Unalloyed titanium
ISO 6335-1, Surgical instruments — Staplers — Part 1: Vocabulary
ISO 8601-1, Date and time — Representations for information exchange — Part 1: Basic rules
ISO 10993-1, Biological evaluation of medical devices — Part 1: Requirements and general principles for the
evaluation of biological safety within a risk management process
ISO 10993-2, Biological evaluation of medical devices — Part 2: Animal welfare requirements
ISO 10993-7, Biological evaluation of medical devices — Part 7: Ethylene oxide sterilization residuals
ISO 11135, Sterilization of health-care products — Ethylene oxide — Requirements for the development,
validation and routine control of a sterilization process for medical devices
ISO 11137-1, Sterilization of health care products — Radiation — Part 1: Requirements for the development,
validation and routine control of a sterilization process for medical devices
ISO 11137-2, Sterilization of health care products — Radiation — Part 2: Establishing the sterilization dose
ISO 11137-3, Sterilization of health care products — Radiation — Part 3: Guidance on dosimetric aspects of
development, validation and routine control
ISO 11607-1, Packaging for terminally sterilized medical devices — Part 1: Requirements for materials, sterile
barrier systems and packaging systems
ISO 14155, Clinical investigation of medical devices for human subjects — Good clinical practice
ISO 14937, Sterilization of health care products — General requirements for characterization of a sterilizing
agent and the development, validation and routine control of a sterilization process for medical devices
ISO 17664-1, Processing of health care products — Information to be provided by the medical device
manufacturer for the processing of medical devices — Part 1: Critical and semi-critical medical devices
ISO 17665, Sterilization of health care products — Moist heat — Requirements for the development, validation
and routine control of a sterilization process for medical devices
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 6335-1 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
surgical mode
common operations adopted by the physician, including open surgery an
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