ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Center for Devices and Radiological Health

Okay kiddo, let me try to explain what the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) is all about in a way that's easy to understand.

The CDRH is like a special group of people who work for the government. They have a really important job – they make sure that all the things we use to help us stay healthy and get better when we're sick, like medical devices and machines that do tests, are safe and work the right way.

For example, have you ever been to the doctor and had them use a stethoscope to listen to your heartbeat? That's a medical device! The CDRH makes sure that stethoscopes – and lots of other medical devices, too – are made well, are safe for us to use, and help doctors and nurses do their job better.

The CDRH also works to make sure that any kind of radiation that we're exposed to, like when we have an X-ray or a CT scan, is at a level that won't hurt us. They do this by setting limits on how much radiation we can be exposed to and making sure that the machines that give off radiation are working correctly.

So, basically, the CDRH is like a big group of super-smart people who care a lot about our health and safety. They work really hard to make sure that we can trust the medical devices and machines that we use every day to keep us healthy and strong.