Development of Rechargeable Batteries for BTE Cochlear Devices

描述（由申请人提供）： 听力损失是世界上第一大残疾。目前有超过800万美国人佩戴助听器，全球约有20万人工耳蜗植入物在使用。多年来，助听器和耳蜗设备主要由一次性锌空气电池供电。然而，考虑到由于不可再充电的锌空气电池的更换和处置而带来的不便、成本和环境影响，耳蜗行业和助听器行业正在积极开发可再充电电池供电的设备。前沿科技公司正计划开发一种新型的可充电电池，用于耳后（BTE）人工耳蜗植入和BTE助听器。与现有的最先进的产品相比，所提出的电池具有两倍的能量密度，三倍的电池寿命和四分之一的充电时间。更重要的是，拟议中的电池将具有最高的安全标准，这对于头戴式听力设备至关重要。在第一阶段的工作中，FET已经展示了一个12 mAh的电池，其占地面积适合BTE设备。第一阶段的结果还证明了大于500 Wh/L的能量密度，在一小时内充电，以及循环后良好的容量保持率。在第二阶段，我们将进一步开发相同占地面积的110 mAh电池。这种电池将具有创新的安全结构，在电池水平上集成，以便在任何滥用条件下，电池表面温度不会超过50 ℃。第二阶段的工作还将展示一种12.5 mAh的助听器电池，其尺寸与13号锌空气电池相同。所提出的电池的成功开发将对开发更小更好的下一代人工耳蜗BTE设备和助听器做出重大贡献。在第二阶段计划结束时，电池的高预期成熟度将促进新电池的快速商业化。 公共卫生相关性： 目前可用的可充电电池的能量密度、使用寿命和安全性不足以满足下一代耳蜗植入物和助听器的挑战性功率要求。前沿技术公司提出的高能薄膜电池将使更小，更好的听力设备的发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Hearing loss is the number one disability in the world. There are currently over eight million Americans that wear hearing aids and approximately 200,000 cochlear implants in use worldwide. For many years, hearing aids and cochlear devices were primarily powered by disposable zinc-air batteries. However, given the inconvenience, cost and environmental impact due to the replacement and disposal of non-rechargeable zinc-air batteries, the cochlear industry and hearing aid industry are actively developing rechargeable battery powered devices. Front Edge Technology is proposing to develop a new type of rechargeable battery for Behind-the-Ear (BTE) cochlear implants and for BTE hearing aids. Compared to the existing state-of-the-art products, the proposed battery has twice the energy density, three times the battery life, and one quarter of the recharge time. More importantly, the proposed battery will have the highest safety standard, which is crucial to a head-worn hearing device. In the Phase I work, FET has demonstrated a 12-mAh battery with a footprint suitable for BTE devices. Phase I results also demonstrated greater than 500 Wh/L in energy density, recharge in one hour, and good capacity retention after cycling. In Phase II, we will further develop a 110-mAh battery in the same footprint. This battery will have innovative safety structures integrated at the cell level so that in any abusive conditions, the battery surface temperature will not exceed 50oC. Phase II work will also demonstrate a 12.5-mAh hearing aid battery with the same dimensions as a size-13 Zn-air battery. Successful development of the proposed batteries will have major contributions in the development of smaller and better next generation cochlear implant BTE devices and hearing aids. The high expected maturity of the battery at the end of the Phase II program will facilitate a quick commercialization of the new batteries. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The energy-density, service life, and safety of currently available rechargeable batteries are inadequate in meeting the challenging power requirements of next generation cochlear implants and hearing aids. Front Edge Technology's proposed high-energy thin-film battery will enable the development of smaller and better hearing devices.