Odd News: Hand Guns as Medical Devices?

It is designed to ease firing for people who may suffer from arthritis and other debilitating conditions that may result in difficulty squeezing a trigger.Constitutional Arms informed a medical technology blog that FDA had approved the Palm Pistol as a medical device, classifying it as a "Daily Activity Assist Device."I couldn't find proof of the approval. The company only provided proof that it had submitted paperwork (pdf) to register its facility as a medical device manufacturer. The manufacturer told the blog that the company is pursuing reimbursement. Such approval seems unlikely.According to New Scientist, officials at the agency have not issued a statement on Palm Pistol's status. "There's been discussion about this over at the Center for Devices and Radiation Health," FDA spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey told the publication.It may be that the company is drumming up controversy to help brand awareness. In which case, aww shoot, I just helped. But just to be clear, no matter what people feel about guns and gun control, I think most would successfully argue that a gun is not a medical device.Heather Thompson12/8/08 Update: In the "well, duh" category, FDA has issued a statement that the Palm Pistol is indeed, according to the FD&C Act, not a medical device. I'm sure we will all sleep better.