Emmes Gains FDA Clearance for Weight Device

Emmes has secured FDA approval for a device used to determine a child’s weight in lieu of a weight scale, the Rockville, Md., firm said Wednesday.

Medical professionals use weight estimates in emergency situations and in poorer countries where scales aren’t readily available. The device enables clinicians to more accurately gauge the prescription dosage needed for a pediatric patient, the company says.

Clinical trial results showed that for 76 percent of patients, the device’s measurements came within 10 percent of their true weight. For 98 percent of patients, the device came within 20 percent of the patients’ true weight.

Doctors at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Mo., developed the device. CMH was awarded a patent for the product in November. — Jason Scott