Lyric Hearing Aid Available in Florida

Editor: The Lyric is an extended-wear hearing aid that is inserted into the ear canal and left in for up to four months. Then it is removed and replaced with a new one. Sounds like it might be a bit pricey!

Here's the press release.

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September 2008

InSound(TM) Medical today announced the availability of the revolutionary new hearing device, Lyric(R), for Tampa-area patients with mild to moderately severe hearing loss. Lyric, the first and only extended wear hearing aid that is 100 percent invisible and can be worn 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for up to 4 months, provides many advantages over traditional hearing aids through its breakthrough technology, design and placement.

"Lyric is a great choice for many individuals who are unsatisfied with the sound quality and cosmetic design of current hearing aids on the market," said Susan Whichard, Vice President of Marketing with InSound Medical. "To attain more natural sound, Lyric was uniquely designed to work with the ear's anatomy, using the outer ear to direct sound into the ear canal and then delivering it very close to the eardrum, resulting in exceptional sound quality in both quiet and noisy environments. Lyric is an ideal choice for people who have never worn a hearing aid, as well as those who are displeased with their current hearing aids."

Lyric is comfortably placed in the ear near the eardrum during a routine office visit to a Lyric-trained hearing professional, who may be an ENT physician, audiologist or hearing aid specialist. No surgery or anesthesia is required. Once inserted, Lyric is programmed for the patient's specific hearing needs, after which patients can use a magnetic wand to adjust the settings and volume as needed.

In addition to being located completely inside the ear and 100 percent invisible, Lyric differs from conventional hearing aids in that there are no batteries to change, no maintenance is needed, and daily insertion/removal is not required. Since Lyric is inserted into the ear canal and does not have to be removed, patients use Lyric throughout their everyday activities, such as exercising, showering, talking on the phone and sleeping. Patients can wear Lyric for up to 120 days or until the battery is depleted, after which a new device is placed by the patient's Lyric provider.

"I was always frustrated with my old hearing aids, still having to explain that I was hard of hearing and asking people to repeat themselves," said 81-year old Dr. Miles Hardy of Tampa, retired Professor at the University of South Florida and former President of the Florida Psychological Association. "As someone who made a career out of listening to people speak, it was quite discouraging to have hearing loss and deal with the daily struggles of hearing aid ownership. I was continually losing my old ones or forgetting to put them in, but now that I wear Lyric, I don't have to worry about taking them out anymore and my hearing has improved dramatically. Lyric has been a miracle to me -- when I first had them put in, I started to cry -- I never imagined I could hear again like this. My wife even told me, 'it's good having my husband back.'"

Currently 5 practices in the Tampa area are offering this sophisticated new hearing device, but more offices will be added soon. For a full, up to date list of office locations, visit http://www.lyrichearing.com/find-a-lyric-professional. Current offices in Tampa include:

-- Physician's Choice Hearing & Dizziness Center, Inc. (Tampa and Sun City Center, Fla.)

-- Sound Advice Hearing Solutions (St. Petersburg, Fla.) -- Dr. Edward Kampsen (Tampa, Fla.) -- Advanced Audiology of New Tampa (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) -- Silverstein Institute (Sarasota, Fla.)

Due to the individual characteristics of each patients' ear canal, Lyric may not be an option for all patients. For more information about Lyric, which is manufactured by California-based InSound Medical, or to find a Lyric-trained professional, visit http://www.lyrichearing.com.

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