What Do the Symbols on My Catheter Packages Mean?

Have you ever looked at the packaging on your catheter or other medical supplies and wondered about the symbols printed on them? While it may be easy to overlook these small graphics, they convey important information about how to use, store, and dispose of your catheter product.

Let's take a closer look at the common symbols you may find on catheter packages and other medical supplies.

Common Medical Symbols on Catheter Packages

Here are some of the most common manufacturing symbols you may see on your catheter boxes or packaging, which indicate important things like your product's expiration date, lot numbers, method of sterilization, and more.

Symbol	What It Means
	The symbol for "Do not reuse." Single or sterile use only.
	Manufacturer's lot number or batch code. The symbol will be right next to a set of numbers indicating the batch number in which this particular supply was produced.
	Indicates the product's reference or item number. Your 180 Medical specialist may ask you to find this number to determine what item you have on hand.
	Manufacturer. This picture will appear next to the manufacturer's name and address.
	Date of manufacture. Next to this symbol, you will see a 4-digit date indicating the year and 2 following digits indicating the month this product was produced or manufactured (YYYY-MM).
	Use By. Next to this small hourglass symbol, you will see the expiration date with 4 digits indicating the year and 2 following digits indicating the month (YYYY-MM).
	By prescription only. U.S. Federal Law restricts this device to sale only on the order of a physician.
	The EO indicates a sterilization method using ethylene oxide.
	The "R" after "Sterile" indicates a sterilization method using irradiation.
	The thermometer icon indicates a sterilization method using dry heat or steam.
	Not sterilized or non-sterile. You may see this on products such as non-sterile gloves.
	Indicates that the manufacturer's product instructions are available.

Source for regulated symbols: fda.gov

Depending upon the brand and type of catheter you have, your catheter supplies packaging may vary in color, size, length, and shape. But you can always be confident that the symbols are there because they are regulated by the FDA.

Other Symbols You May See

In addition to some of those important manufacturer labels above, you may sometimes see symbols for storing or protecting your supplies. For example, you may see a small guide indicating what temperatures for storing your supplies are most ideal (typically room temp for most products unless otherwise indicated).

Or you may see a small umbrella with raindrops on it, which means "Keep dry." This indicates that your product or its packaging should be protected from moisture and stored in a dry room.

If you ever have questions about your supplies, our Product Specialists are here to help! Just reach out.

Directions for Sterile Catheter Use

Wondering how to perform sterile intermittent catheterization? Get our helpful online catheterization instructions at HowToCath.com.