Oneremovabledevice, the Lyric from InSound MedicalofNewark, Calif., sits inside the ear and costs up to $3, 600 annually. (Itisdisposable and must bereplacedregularly.)
It's not quite implantable, but Insound Medical's new Lyric hearing aid is about as close as you can get, with it designed to squeeze in deep in your ear canal and sit just a few millimeters from your ear drum.
Of course, a device of that size also poses a number of problems, but Insound appears to have all those sorted out, with it employing a special "spongy material" that allows moisture to escape and prevent infection, and a magnet to actually remove the device from the ear.