CES awards innovative health gadgets: earplugs, ergonomic keyboards, hearing aids

At this year's CES, new products named most innovative in the health and wellness sector include earplugs specially designed for military use to prevent hearing damage caused by gunfire and explosions, a heart rate monitor that attaches to your forearm and syncs with your iPhone/iPod Touch, and an ergonomic keyboard that changes your hand and wrist position while you work.

Except where noted, pricing and release information are not yet available on these new devices.

The Electronic BlastPLG Earplugs, awarded best in show in the health and wellness category, are high-fidelity earplugs developed to mitigate hearing damage and tinnitus sustained by deployed soldiers.

Other hearing aids earning high marks include Able Planet's Personal Sound EM (Environmental Management), an in-ear listening device with low-level amplification of sounds based on environment and tonal sensitivity. Beltone True hearing aid, also a winner, is part of a new generation of "virtually invisible" Bluetooth hearing aids among the first to wirelessly receive sound directly from TV, cell/home phone, stereo, PC and iPod via a 2.4 GHz signal. Also, the OtoLens invisible hearing aid from Starkey Laboratories is reportedly the first invisible, in-the-canal hearing aid, custom-built to each patient's ear.

On April 1, Nike will release its new Nike+ SportWatch GPS, powered by TomTom. The watch, which just won two CES Innovation Awards, tracks time, pace, distance, calories burned, and heart rate.

Another winner, Pharos' Cognit memory systems, designed specifically for people with brain injuries, mental disorders, and other cognitive challenges, includes a Pharos Windows phone or PDA, apps, DVD, and book designed to enhance memory.

An eHealth gadget also scoring high marks, MyTrek by Scosche Industries is a heart rate monitoring system that attaches to a forearm and syncs with your iPhone or iPod touch.

Smartfish Technologies' ErgoMotion Keyboard studies your typing frequency and subtly changes your hand and wrist position while you work, to help prevent repetitive stress injury. Available now for $149.95/€115.

Also topping the list is the TabSafe Home Medication Dispenser, which helps both caregivers and patients keep track of medications through visual and audible reminders.

Rounding out the diverse range of health and welness products is the Withings' SmartBabyPhone, which syncs with your smartphone, tablet, or computer via Wifi, 3G, and Bluetooth to keep parents' eyes and ears on the little one.

Find out more about these products and the honorees in other categories here:

http://cesweb.org/Awards/InnovationAwards/2011honorees.htm