The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 07, 1999
Elric W. Saaski, Bothell, WA (US);
Boone B. Owens, Wrightsville Beach, NC (US);
Michael Bizak, Kirkland, WA (US);
Stefano Passerini, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Research International, Inc., Woodinville, WA (US);
Abstract
A contactless rechargeable hearing aid system in which a rechargeable hearing aid may be optically or inductively recharged by an optical or an inductive recharger. The optically rechargeable hearing aid may have a dual purpose optical fiber that may act as a light conduit for the recharging light, and that may also act as a draw string for the hearing aid. The rechargeable hearing aid may use a high energy nickel metal-hydride rechargeable battery or a high energy, high voltage lithium based rechargeable battery, in conjunction with a DC to DC voltage regulating circuit for converting the rechargeable battery's declining DC output voltage to the fixed DC input voltage needed by the hearing aid's audio related circuitry. The DC to DC voltage regulating circuit may also help to present a supply impedance that matches the input impedance of the audio related circuitry in the hearing aid. The rechargeable battery may have an alternately folded cell stack, a spiral wound cell stack or an accordion folded cell stack, in order to provide, in a minimized volume, the large anode, cathode and electrolyte areas that may be needed to reduce the rechargeable battery's output impedance, in order to help reduce internal resistance losses during use of the battery.