Hearing aid batteries?

[fireguy]

I realize that this question may not belong in CPF at all, but everyone here is so knowledgeable about batteries, you can see how I thought of posting it here.

I have been wearing a hearing aid for about 10 years. Over the course of time, that's a lot of batteries that are going into the landfill, or recycling. While they are small, one gets tossed every 1-2 weeks.

I've heard there are rechargeable hearing aid batteries. Does anyone have any experience with these? Also, the batteries are zinc-air. Would lithium last longer? I don't know if they even make any.

I hope that this question is ok to post here. If not, perhaps a moderator will remove it? I just thought that with the knowledge base here, someone may have some great information.

Thanks!

 

[Oznog]

Well, you can't use or try anything not approved by the mfg. Lithium types are 3v and hearing aids use 1.5v. It'd be nice if your device stacked 2 cells and you could find one super-tall 3v lithium to replace it.

Zinc-air batteries actually have an exceptionally high energy capacity, but typically only for very low, constant current drains. Which makes them ideal tech for hearing aids.

There are rechargeable lithium button/coin cells, but they're a fraction of the capacity of the non-rechargeable types in the same size (which probably are themselves less capacity than a zinc-air). They're not lithium ion type but lithium vanadium pentoxide.

So my suspicion is that this type wouldn't last a day.
Try shopping around for better battery deals, but if the market's anything like watch batteries, avoid the cheap bulk Chinese brands. I've tried them and found like 1/3rd were dead, 1/3rd couldn't light an LED flashlight well, and 1/3rd lit it "ok" but didn't live long at all. Zero "good" cells.

 

[Mr Happy]

Oznog basically said it. The zinc-air batteries used in hearing aids have a lot of stored energy in a small volume relative to other battery technologies. It is a specialist application and a unique kind of battery that fills the niche.

I saw mention of NiMH rechargeable cells that could be used as a replacement power source, but they may only last a day or two on one charge. You could investigate that option though. Here is the item I saw:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BUM/is_8_80/ai_78356838

 

[fireguy]

Thanks Oznog & Mr Happy!

I knew this was the right place! :thumbsup:

I have looked at the article, and I'm going to try to find out more about it. Coincidentally, #13 is the size I need.

You don't suppose that there's a C9000-equivalent for size 13 batteries, and that Sanyo will be releasing an LSD #13 battery?

 

[NigelBond]

I don't know about rechargable batteries for hearing aids that are removable but I assumed that newer rechargable hearing aids were more or less like a blue tooth headset where the entire device charges on some cradle or a plug, the battery would be non removable. Thats what I saw on tv once.

 

[shadowjk]

A relative of mine has a hearing aid that he recently started using. Either he doesn't remember the device running out of juice, or then its battery lasts months in it. Maybe current day devices use less power than the devices of 10 years ago? Who knows..

 

[MorePower]

A relative of mine has a hearing aid that he recently started using. Either he doesn't remember the device running out of juice, or then its battery lasts months in it. Maybe current day devices use less power than the devices of 10 years ago? Who knows..

Different brands and types of hearing aids use differing amounts of power, and the amount of volume boost needed also has a significant effect on battery life.

Regarding NiMH rechargeable hearing aid batteries, there are no major manufacturers of hearing aids currently considering them for use in the near term. Zn-Air is here to stay for a good long while.

 

[N162E]

Regarding NiMH rechargeable hearing aid batteries, there are no major manufacturers of hearing aids currently considering them for use in the near term. Zn-Air is here to stay for a good long while.

Zounds hearing aids use a built in NIMH rechargeable system.

Powerone makes NIMH rechargeable system for existing aids in 10, 312, 13 and 675 sizes. Appropriate chargers are available in pensize, credit card and solar.

 

[fireguy]

Zounds hearing aids use a built in NIMH rechargeable system.

Powerone makes NIMH rechargeable system for existing aids in 10, 312, 13 and 675 sizes. Appropriate chargers are available in pensize, credit card and solar.

Thanks N162E. I will check both of those companies! :thumbsup:

 

[MorePower]

Thanks N162E. I will check both of those companies! :thumbsup:

Keep in mind that the Powerone NiMH size 13 has a capacity of 30mAh, while a good Zn-Air size 13 has a capacity of around 300mAh. You stated in your first post that you change cells every week or 2, so you might not even get a full day of use out of an NiMH cell.

 

[N162E]

Keep in mind that the Powerone NiMH size 13 has a capacity of 30mAh, while a good Zn-Air size 13 has a capacity of around 300mAh. You stated in your first post that you change cells every week or 2, so you might not even get a full day of use out of an NiMH cell.

This is all very true. I figured that in my Oticon Delta aids I would get about 6 hours of use with the #10 battery. Considering the wear and tear on the aids from constant battery changes, the cost of losing them and the general inconvenience I don't know anyone who would use them.

My mother is 84 years old, has arthritus and really can't handle small things. The Zounds aids work well for her as she can pop them into her charger nightly. The Zounds aids have built in NIMH cells good for about 15 hours, the aids themselves go into the charger nightly.

My Deltas run about 40 hours on #10 disposables and my Epocs roun about 110 hours on #312 disposable cells. I wear them 16-18 hours a day.

You can see an ongoing discussion of rechargeable HA cells here http://www.hearingaidforums.com/showthread.php?t=1543

 

[fireguy]

This is all very true. I figured that in my Oticon Delta aids I would get about 6 hours of use with the #10 battery. Considering the wear and tear on the aids from constant battery changes, the cost of losing them and the general inconvenience I don't know anyone who would use them.

That would mean having 2 sets of batteries with you each day and changing batteries at least once a day. You also make a very good point about the wear and tear. I hadn't thought of that. Those little battery compartments are pretty fragile.

You can see an ongoing discussion of rechargeable HA cells here http://www.hearingaidforums.com/showthread.php?t=1543

Looks like some good info on that site. Thanks for the link!

 

[RBlood]

The Siemens Centra Active, and other Siemens models use Size 13 rechargable batteries. They run the hearing aid for about 18 hours. You then put both whole hearing aids into the charger. The charger charges for five hours, then shuts off. It turns off the hearing aids before charging them. You take them out of the charger in the morning, turn them back on, and they're good for another day and evening. The batteries are said to last one and a half to two years. Here's a link: https://hearing.siemens.com/en/04-products/13-centra-active/centra-active.jsp

 

[fireguy]

The Siemens Centra Active, and other Siemens models use Size 13 rechargable batteries. They run the hearing aid for about 18 hours. You then put both whole hearing aids into the charger. The charger charges for five hours, then shuts off. It turns off the hearing aids before charging them. You take them out of the charger in the morning, turn them back on, and they're good for another day and evening. The batteries are said to last one and a half to two years. Here's a link: https://hearing.siemens.com/en/04-products/13-centra-active/centra-active.jsp

Thanks, RBlood. I appreciate you replying. Do you use the Centras? I'd be interested in hearing your results with Siemens, even in PM if it's too off topic for posting here.

Unfortunately I've had terrible results with Siemens and won't consider them again. My latest Triano S was never able to be properly programmed - even with the 2 mic's, I could not tell direction of sound, and it amplified background noise as much as speech. It wasn't very durable, either. The battery holder broke off and the body cracked where the ear hook joined. right now, it's in 3 pieces - battery holder, body and earhook, with the "inner electronics" hanging out of the body.

I'm currently looking for a new HA, hence my question about rechargeables, too.

 

[jhellwig]

It seams to me that the cpf way would be to modify the thing so that it would take eneloops or 18650's or something like that.

 

[N162E]

It seams to me that the cpf way would be to modify the thing so that it would take eneloops or 18650's or something like that.

And, package it to totally fit in the ear.

 

[Kestrel]

a good Zn-Air size 13 has a capacity of around 300mAh

Holy hamhocks, that _is_ good energy density.

It seams to me that the cpf way would be to modify the thing so that it would take eneloops or 18650's or something like that.

See what 'Milky' can do with one.