Question
What does ZPower offer in terms of rechargeable solutions for hearing aids, and how is it the same or different as what is currently on the market?
Answer
ZPower’s expertise is in rechargeable silver-zinc battery technology, which has been used in military and aerospace applications for several decades because of its very high energy. Over the company’s 18 year history, it has improved the technology and adapted it for portable electronic applications. Hearing aid manufacturers first approached the company in 2007 requesting we develop a high energy rechargeable hearing aid battery. The result of our efforts is a hearing aid battery that doubles the run time of current rechargeable batteries available today. Silver-zinc surpasses even lithium-ion in terms of energy and is safe and recyclable.
One of the complaints that we hear from audiologists who have tried other rechargeable batteries on the market is that they do not last all day. Or, they are only available from select companies, in certain products and in certain styles.
At ZPower, we knew we needed a battery solution that would last all day, be charged in the hearing aid, and would still enable the wearer to use a zinc-air battery if, for example, they forgot the charger. We also knew we needed something that wouldn’t affect the hearing aid’s electronics and electroacoustics. For these reasons, we developed a custom rechargeable battery door module that contains the necessary circuitry to convert almost any hearing aid into a rechargeable. All you have to do is swap the standard battery door with our door to create a rechargeable solution for your patient.
There are charging contacts on the bottom of the door and we provide a charger. Instantaneously in the office, simply by changing the battery door on a select number of new or existing hearing aids, you can make them rechargeable.
This Ask the Expert is an excerpt from an AudiologyOnline interview with Dr. Freeman. Read the full interview here. For more information on how you can offer rechargeability to your hearing aid patients with ZPower's new solution, please visit www.zpowerbattery.com. You can also learn more at the ZPower Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.
