Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine has chosen the "100% Invisible" Lyric hearing aid from InSound Medical Inc, Newark, Calif, as one of the 32 winners of its twelfth annual Medical Design Excellence Awards, says a statement from InSound.

Winners excel in product innovation, design and engineering achievement, user benefits, and cost-effectiveness in manufacturing and health care delivery, says the company.

InSound CEO David Thrower says Lyric is the only FDA-cleared device that resides completely in the hearing canal where it can stay up to 4 months while providing natural sound quality.

An April 2009 article in HR delves into the merits of the device. 

Lyric was developed in Silicon Valley over eight years, to take advantage of the ear’s natural anatomy, says the company. It is hidden deep in the ear canal and completely self contained with a multi-month battery that does not need replacement, says the company. The device
received its latest FDA clearance in May 2008, allowing it to be dispensed by audiologists, hearing instrument specialists, and ear, nose and throat physicians, according to the company.

InSound is a privately held medical device company established to develop advanced hearing aid technology.

[Source: InSound]