# FDA Medical Device Recall Scraper (`azureblue/medical-device-recall-scraper`) Actor Fetch FDA medical device recall records via OpenFDA. Filter by device name and date. Returns recall number, reason, risk class, company and recall status. - **URL**: https://apify.com/azureblue/medical-device-recall-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [azureblue](https://apify.com/azureblue) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing $5.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## FDA Medical Device Recall Scraper Retrieve FDA medical device recall records from [OpenFDA](https://open.fda.gov/apis/device/recall/). Filter by device name and date range. Returns recall number, reason for recall, risk classification, company, recall status and direct FDA links. ### Features - Searches FDA's full device recall database (100,000+ records) - Filter by product description keyword and initiation date - Handles 429 rate limiting automatically (10s backoff) - OpenFDA error handling (returns clean "no results" instead of crashing) - Pagination via `skip` parameter — up to 10,000 records per run - No API key required ### Input | Field | Type | Required | Default | Description | |-------|------|----------|---------|-------------| | `deviceName` | string | | — | Device keyword, e.g. `pacemaker` or `insulin pump` | | `dateFrom` | string | | — | Filter from date, format `YYYY-MM-DD` | | `country` | string | | `US` | Country code (OpenFDA covers US) | | `maxResults` | integer | | 50 | Max records (1–10,000) | Leave `deviceName` empty to retrieve the most recent recalls across all devices. ### Output ```json { "recallNumber": "Z-0001-2024", "deviceName": "IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATOR", "company": "Medtronic Inc.", "city": "Minneapolis", "state": "MN", "country": "US", "recallDate": "20240115", "postedDate": "20240122", "recallStatus": "Ongoing", "reason": "The device may deliver inappropriate shocks due to a software defect in the detection algorithm.", "rootCause": "Software defect", "riskClass": "Cardiovascular", "productCode": "LWS", "url": "https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfRes/res.cfm?id=Z-0001-2024" } ```` ### Use Cases #### 1. Hospital Risk Management A biomedical engineering department runs weekly recalls for `defibrillator` to check whether any devices in their inventory are subject to active FDA recalls — exporting results to their asset management system. #### 2. Regulatory Intelligence A MedTech consultancy monitors all recalls initiated in the last 90 days (`dateFrom: 2024-01-01`) for a specific therapeutic category to identify recurring failure modes ahead of a client's regulatory submission. #### 3. Journalist / Patient Safety Research An investigative journalist queries recalls for `breast implant` since 2019 to compile a dataset of manufacturers, recall reasons and affected unit counts for a patient safety article. ### Data Source [OpenFDA Device Recall API](https://open.fda.gov/apis/device/recall/) — official FDA data, updated daily. ### Pricing Pay-per-result on Apify. 500 recall records ≈ $2.50. # Actor input Schema ## `deviceName` (type: `string`): Device name to search for in FDA recall database. Leave empty to retrieve all recent recalls. Example: 'pacemaker' or 'insulin pump'. ## `dateFrom` (type: `string`): Only include recalls initiated on or after this date. Format: YYYY-MM-DD. ## `country` (type: `string`): Country filter (2-letter ISO code). Currently OpenFDA primarily covers US recalls. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of recall records to retrieve (1–10,000). ## Actor input object example ```json { "deviceName": "pacemaker", "dateFrom": "2020-01-01", "country": "US", "maxResults": 50 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `dataset` (type: `string`): Open the run's default dataset to view, filter and export the scraped items. # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = {}; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("azureblue/medical-device-recall-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = {} # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("azureblue/medical-device-recall-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{}' | apify call azureblue/medical-device-recall-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=azureblue/medical-device-recall-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "FDA Medical Device Recall Scraper", "description": "Fetch FDA medical device recall records via OpenFDA. Filter by device name and date. Returns recall number, reason, risk class, company and recall status.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "b9Pw8D6H15Gr1w95D" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/azureblue~medical-device-recall-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-azureblue-medical-device-recall-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/azureblue~medical-device-recall-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-azureblue-medical-device-recall-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/azureblue~medical-device-recall-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-azureblue-medical-device-recall-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "deviceName": { "title": "Device Name", "type": "string", "description": "Device name to search for in FDA recall database. Leave empty to retrieve all recent recalls. Example: 'pacemaker' or 'insulin pump'." }, "dateFrom": { "title": "Date From (YYYY-MM-DD)", "type": "string", "description": "Only include recalls initiated on or after this date. Format: YYYY-MM-DD." }, "country": { "title": "Country", "type": "string", "description": "Country filter (2-letter ISO code). Currently OpenFDA primarily covers US recalls.", "default": "US" }, "maxResults": { "title": "Maximum Results", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 10000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of recall records to retrieve (1–10,000).", "default": 50 } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```