Substantia

From prototype to FDA-ready, without the guesswork.

Substantia tells you whether your device needs a 510(k), finds the predicates to compare against, checks your standards and audits your eSTAR before FDA does. Built by a team of regulatory and software engineers.

NewUse Substantia yourself. Join early access

Results within one business day. Fixed price, quoted before you start.

Example result for a fictitious device

Substantia
Pathway checkPredicatesStandardseSTAR audit
Your deviceHandheld infrared ear thermometer that measures body temperature in adults and children, for home and clinical use.
510(k) requiredHigh confidence
Product code
FLL, clinical electronic thermometer
Regulation
21 CFR 880.2910, Class II
Exemption
Not available for this device type
553

real FDA 510(k) decisions used to test Substantia

1 day

to get your results, from pathway check to eSTAR audit

40+

checks on every eSTAR, each finding verified by our regulatory engineers

Everything a 510(k) needs to check, in one place.

Answers in minutes instead of weeks of manual research. The pathway check, predicate finder and standards check are fully automated. eSTAR audits are verified by our regulatory engineers before delivery.

Pathway check

For prototypes, new devices and accessories

Does your device need a 510(k), is it exempt, or does it need a De Novo? Substantia works out which device type fits yours and whether a 510(k) exemption applies.

Pathway510(k) required
Device classClass II
ExemptionNot available

Fully automated

Predicate finder

For teams choosing a predicate

The cleared devices most like yours, grouped by product code, with their indications, standards and testing laid out so you can compare.

Closest match92%
Second match87%
Third match81%

Fully automated

Standards check

For test plans and declarations of conformity

Every standard you cite, checked for whether FDA currently recognizes it, in which edition, and in full or only in part.

IEC 60601-1Recognized
ISO 80601-2-56Recognized
ISO 10993-10:2010Edition not recognized

Fully automated

eSTAR pre-filing audit

For submissions ready to file

Your eSTAR and every attachment checked against what FDA's technical screening looks for, so it isn't put on hold for something that could have been fixed in an afternoon.

VerdictResolve before filing
Findings1 critical, 6 medium, 2 low
Checks run44

Automated, then verified by our engineers. Findings within one business day. What it checks

Coming soon

Use Substantia yourself.

Self-serve access is on its way: run a pathway check, find predicates and check your standards whenever you need to, without sending a single email. Join the early-access list and be first to try it.

Prefer not to upload? Done-for-you checks by email stay available, as they are today.

  • First access when the portal opens
  • Early-user pricing for your first submissions
  • A direct line to the team building it, so your feedback shapes what comes next

From prototype to an FDA-ready submission.

Substantia covers each step a 510(k) device takes on its way to filing, so nothing is left until the last week.

  1. 1

    Classify the device

    Find the product code, regulation and device class that fit your intended use.

  2. 2

    Choose the pathway

    510(k), exempt or De Novo, with the conditions that decide it.

  3. 3

    Pick the predicate

    Find the cleared device to claim equivalence to, and see how others did it.

  4. 4

    Check the standards

    Confirm every standard is one FDA recognizes, in the right edition.

  5. 5

    Audit before filing

    Catch what technical screening would catch, before FDA sees it.

Not sure where you are? Tell us what you have so far, and Substantia will tell you the next step… free of charge.

Tell us about your device

FDA screens every eSTAR before anyone reviews the science.

Screening comes first

Before substantive review begins, FDA checks that an eSTAR submission is complete. A missing signature or an empty required section is enough to stop it there.

An incomplete eSTAR goes on hold

The clock stops while you fix it and resubmit. Weeks of your launch plan go to problems that could have been found in an afternoon.

The eSTAR doesn't catch everything

Its own completeness check can't tell that your labeling contradicts your Indications for Use, or that a standard is cited in an edition FDA no longer recognizes. Reviewers can.

More than 40 checks on every eSTAR.

Each finding says what was found, where, which FDA requirement or guidance it relates to, and what to do about it.

The eSTAR's own completeness

  • Required items the eSTAR itself marks incomplete
  • Unsigned or undated Truthful & Accurate Statement
  • Which sections apply, read from the eSTAR's own logic

21 CFR 807.87(l)

Attachments

  • Files attached to questions the eSTAR now hides
  • Empty, duplicate or unreadable files
  • Applicable sections with no supporting document

eSTAR technical screening

Standards

  • Standards missing from FDA's recognized list
  • Editions FDA no longer recognizes, or recognizes only in part
  • Standards named in the text but never declared

FDA guidance on consensus standards

Predicates

  • Each predicate confirmed as legally marketed
  • Predicates without a substantially equivalent decision
  • Predicates under a different product code

21 CFR 807.87(f)

Consistency

  • Indications for Use across the form, labeling and summary
  • Quantities that differ between documents
  • Prescription statement on Rx-only labeling

21 CFR 807.87(e) and 801.109

510(k) Summary and answers

  • Elements the 510(k) Summary must contain
  • "N/A" answers with no justification
  • Answers that only point to an attachment

21 CFR 807.92

An optional AI-assisted review reads the attachments for problems fixed checks can't express, such as a clinical study that doesn't cover the ages your indications claim. It runs only with your agreement, and every AI finding is labelled as such in the report.

See exactly what you'll receive.

The sample is a full audit of a fictitious infrared ear thermometer, in the same format, checks and wording as a real report. Email us and we'll send it, usually the same day. Real reports are confidential to the client.

Email us for the sample report

  1. p. 1
    Verdict and what to fix first

    Resolve before filing, review before filing, or ready to file, with the findings to start on.

  2. p. 2
    How the eSTAR applies to your submission

    Every section and part, whether it applies, and its status in the eSTAR's own check.

  3. p. 3
    Findings by severity

    What we found, the evidence, where it is, the FDA source, and what to do.

  4. App. A
    Attachments reviewed

    Every file, where it is attached, and whether it could be read.

  5. App. C
    Method, data and versions

    Every check performed, the FDA data used and when it was retrieved.

How an eSTAR audit works.

  1. Send the eSTAR

    Email the filled eSTAR PDF with its attachments. We sign your NDA first if you need one.

  2. Every check runs

    Substantia reads the form, its saved state and every attachment, and runs the full set of checks.

  3. Our regulatory engineers review

    Each finding is checked by hand. False alarms are removed and context is added where it helps.

  4. You get the report

    A PDF report within one business day, and a call to walk through it if you want one.

For the people who sign the submission.

Device companies

Filing your first 510(k), or filing without a full regulatory team. Get an independent check before the submission leaves your hands.

Regulatory consultants

A second pair of eyes on a client's eSTAR before you file it. Reports can be prepared for your firm to pass on to your client.

Your submission stays confidential

  • Files are processed on our own machines
  • AI-assisted review runs only if you agree to it
  • Your files are deleted when the engagement ends
  • NDA signed before you send anything, on request

Every claim can be checked

  • Each finding cites the CFR section or FDA guidance behind it
  • Checks that could not run are reported as not evaluated, never as passed

Questions.

Is this regulatory advice?

No. Substantia gives your team an analysis: it points to specific issues and the FDA sources behind them, and decisions about your submission stay with you.

Does a clean report guarantee clearance?

No one can guarantee clearance. The audit reduces the chance of a hold for completeness and consistency problems. It does not judge whether your test methods or results are scientifically adequate.

Can Substantia help if we only have a prototype?

Yes. Start with a pathway check to confirm what FDA will expect, then use the predicate finder and standards check as your design and testing take shape. You only pay for what you use.

Which eSTAR versions do you support?

Non-IVD eSTAR versions 5.5 through 7.0. If your file uses a version FDA has retired, the report says so.

What do I need to send for an audit?

The filled eSTAR PDF as you would submit it, with its attachments embedded. Nothing else is needed to start.

Can you check the eSTAR again after we fix things?

Yes. Findings you fix or decide to set aside move to an appendix with your reason, so the updated report shows what changed.

How much does it cost?

A fixed fee for each check; the audit depends on the size of the submission. You get the price before you send any files.

Tell us about your device.

Email us and we'll reply within one business day with a fixed price and a delivery date, or the next step if you're still early.

Include, if you can:

  • The device, and its product code if you know it
  • Where you are: prototype, testing, or ready to file
  • Your planned filing date, if you have one
  • Whether you need an NDA first