FDA Awards Pediatric Device Grants
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently awarded three grants to stimulate the development and availability of medical devices for children.
The recipients and grant amounts include:
- James Geiger, MD, and the Michigan Pediatric Device Consortium, $1 million
- Pedro DelNido, MD, and the Pediatric Cardiovascular Device Consortium, $500,000
- Michael Harrison, MD, and the University of California at San Francisco Pediatric Device Consortium, $500,000.
Development of medical devices for children lags up to a decade behind similar devices intended for use in adults, according to FDA. Children differ in terms of size, growth and body chemistry and present unique challenges to device designers. In addition, the activity level and ability to manage some implantable or long-term devices may vary greatly among children.
The Sept./Oct. issue of AAMI’s peer-reviewed journal, Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, contains more information about the challenges for pediatric devices and childrens’ hospitals. For more information about the issue, click here.
For more information about the FDA grants, click here.