Baxter (NYSE: BAX) announced on Wednesday that it had just received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its new metabolic monitoring device. Developed in partnership with private medical technology company COSMED, this new device -- otherwise known as Q-NRG+ -- is expected to make it much easier for medical staff to measure a patient's caloric and nutritional needs accurately, rather than relying on rough estimates. Available for sale a bit later this year, the Q-NRG+ is able to accurately measure the nutritional needs of a patient. Traditional methods involve using equations based on a patient's sex, height, and age to give a rough estimate of caloric and macronutrient needs. However, these equations are just a general guideline, and the specific nutritional needs for each patient tend to vary. Image source: Getty Images. "With Q-NRG+, clinicians will have access to the latest technology to accurately measure energy requirements and won't have to rely on predictive equations or dated technology -- which can be cumbersome and time-consuming," said Heather Knight, general manager of U.S. Hospital Products for Baxter. Further details Baxter added that around 2 million hospital stays in the U.S. alone result in some form of malnutrition for patients, with close to a quarter of those patients getting readmitted to hospitals within 30 days of discharge. The launch of Baxter's Q-NRG+ monitoring device is expected at the ASPEN 2020 Nutrition Science and Practice Conference that's taking place late next month. Shares of the healthcare giant didn't move much in response to the news. 10 stocks we like better than BaxterWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Baxter wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of December 1, 2019 Mark Prvulovic has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Source