Raiana Model Context Protocol (MCP) server

AI agent with a lot of tools

What is the Raiana MCP server?

This is one of those topics where the old wisdom applies: if you have to ask, this may not be for you. But we're going to explain anyway!

MCP is a protocol used by AI agents to invoke tools. Agents by themselves can process text, maybe images, but they can't book flights or switch your lights on without external help.

MCP servers are that help. In the case of Raiana, you can give any MCP-capable AI access to regulatory brainpower! Claude from Anthropic (the inventors of MCP) is the most famous one, but there are others.

Raiana API keys application

How does it work?

Your AI agent - such as Claude Desktop - starts up a small program that connects to Raiana on the web. You configure it (see below) with a Raiana API key that you can create in the API keys application.

The agent can then call on Raiana whenever there is a regulatory question, or when you explicitly tell it to. Claude, for example, can work with files on your hard drive or in the cloud and let Raiana review them or write additions.

Configuring the Raiana MCP server with Claude

We’re not going to lie: configuring MCP servers is a little bit tricky. We actually don’t understand why it hasn’t been made easier; probably because this technology is still quite new and the target audience is mainly technical people! So if you don’t understand the instructions below, reach out to that girl or guy who always fixes your printer!

  1. Stop Claude Desktop
  2. Edit the file claude_desktop_config.json. You find this on Mac in ~/Library/Application Support/Claude or on Windows in %APPDATA%\Claude
  3. Add the following lines. Substitute the raikey_… with your actual Raiana API key
				
					{
  "mcpServers": {
  "raiana": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote@latest",
        "https://mcp.chatmdr.eu/v1/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer raikey_..."
      ]
    }
  }
 }
				
			
  1. Start Claude again
  2. In the true spirit of ‘no news is good news’, if you don’t get an error message, Raiana is now connected.
  3. Try a query like: Ask Raiana which device classes exist under IVDR and what defines them.
Claude with Raiana example

Troubleshooting

Like we said, MCP is an early technology and it can be difficult to adopt without some VCR program recording skills. Here are some tips if you get stuck (and the printer-fixer is not available).

  • In case of an error, Claude provides a button to load the log file.
  • One common problem on systems run by non-techies is that Node.js (the platform that Claude but also Raiana run on) is not installed. You will see a message like “npx: command not found“. In that case, you can download and install it from here: Node.js download
  • The log file itself can be hard to read but…you have AI! Copy-paste the log file into Claude itself and ask it to help troubleshoot. That will usually get you on your way!