Starkey Laboratories Inc, Eden Prairie, Minn, has been awarded the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovations 2010 award in the health and wellness category for the S Series with Sweep Technology behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid.

The International CES, which is sponsored, produced, and managed by the Consumer Electronics Association, is the world’s largest consumer electronics tradeshow, says Starkey. The show offers an educational forum to help companies expand their businesses and understand new technology.

"We have spent 3 years researching and developing this technology into something that can be used in a hearing aid, and we succeeded in creating a hearing aid that is both smarter and simpler,” says Tim Trine, chief technical officer at Starkey, in a statement issued by the company.

Sweep Technology replaces all of the traditional hearing aid buttons and dials with a touch surface that allows users to adjust volume and change memories with the sweep or touch of a finger. There is no mechanical movement required for activation, no push buttons, and no openings around the volume control wheel that might allow moisture and dirt to enter the hearing aid. The sweep surface is a single seamless control, giving patients full access to volume, memory, and standby controls.

Starkey’s BTE with Sweep Technology also won the 2009 Tekne Award from the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA), which was the company's second consecutive award from the MHTA.

The 2010 International CES will be held from January 7 to 10 in Las Vegas.

[Source: Starkey]