High-Capacity Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Currently, approximately 7 million Americans use hearing aid devices, which usually use compact Zn-air batteries. These batteries are relatively inexpensive, safe to use, and easy to dispose of, but only work for approximately 1 week before needing to be replaced. Practically all other modern gadgets (cell phones, computers, etc.) now utilize rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, which have lower charge capacity and need frequent (practically daily) recharging. Although frequent recharging may be acceptable for gadget users, it may create potentially a life threating situation for users of medical devices. Th frequent need to replace or recharge hearing aid batteries creates a logistical problem for users, especially for seniors, who constitute the largest segment of hearing aid users. In response to the NIH National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) request for new rechargeable batteries for hearing aid devices, Physical Optics Co