Hearables
Ensurge Battery Benefits for Hearables
Ensurge solid-state lithium microbatteries offer multiple performance, form factor and sustainability advantages over conventional coin cell batteries.
What Constitutes Hearables?
Worn in/on the ear
The "hearables" term includes both medical hearing aids, as well as headphones, earbuds, and True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds.
Medical or Entertainment Applications
These products can be used to assist with impaired hearing, cancel out distracting sounds, and allow private enjoyment of music, sports broadcasts, and even meeting translations.
Amplify and/or Modify Sounds
Different types of hearables can amplify all sounds, amplify or dampen out certain types of sounds, and provide side-to-side differences in sounds (for instance, stereo sound).
What are the specific design challenges?
- SizeBattery size is often the limiting factor for a device's overall dimensions. Advanced microchip design and functionality cannot overcome conventional battery size requirements. Thankfully, the Ensurge microbattery is considerably smaller and lighter than conventional coin cell batteries, thus allowing manufacturers to design a battery compact enough to power a wide variety of wearable sport and fitness sensors.
- Form FactorA battery's form factor is also a limiting factor for device design. The length, width and/or thickness of a battery can impose severe design limitations on manufacturers. The Ensurge microbattery, on the other hand, has an adaptable form factor which can more easily conform to whatever shape a manufacturer needs.
- ChargeabilityConventional lithium batteries suffer from voltage drop as they discharge, have discharge pulse limits, and can only be recharged a few hundred times before wearing out. Ensurge microbatteries, on the other hand, have a much steadier voltage rate throughout the discharge stage, can be recharged quickly, and offer 1,000+ charge cycles.
- Excellent VEDVolumetric Energy Density (VED) is a measure of how much energy a battery can hold per unit volume. In other words, its energy density. Ensurge microbatteries have extremely high VED, thus allowing manufacturers to either reduce the overall size of an Ensurge battery, enable longer operating times before it needs to be recharged, or energize more functionality for their devices.
- Durable, Rugged ConstructionMany batteries are prone to damage from water, from heat, from shock and pressure, or all the above. They are often the most fragile component in any device due to these vulnerabilities. Ensurge batteries, however, are much more robust and able to withstand conditions which would damage other batteries. They are also able to withstand more demanding manufacturing conditions such as Surface Mount Technology (SMT) assembly process.
What are the limits of current approaches?
Size and Form Factor Limits
Current microbattery manufacturing methods set limitations on form factor and size. For instance, the common coin cell shape and size mandate that a product which needs more power, must connect them in parallel to increase capacity. Thus, their target products must be shaped around them, often in inconvenient ways. This then creates limitations for the products themselves, such as overall size, shape, and thickness.
Relatively Low VED
Current microbatteries have limited VED, which places limits on either minimum size or maximum output. That in turn places limits on the products which use the battery. They must be larger than a certain size and/or limited in functionality, to accommodate the battery's own limitations. The bottom line is that next-generation features in those products are often beyond the capabilities of the batteries which power them.
Limited Functionality
Conventional Li-ion batteries have several design limitations which in turn limit the devices they power. They collectively have limited charge duration and duty cycle life. They also have temperature and pressure limitations, both during manufacturing and in use, which restrict a manufacturer's options for using them as a power source. Even transportation is an issue, with fire risk making their shipment much more complicated which necessitates Li-ion batteries to be certified by various standards bodies.
How Ensurge Moves the Market Forward
Customizable Size and Form Factor
The Ensurge solid-state lithium microbattery solves many of the above issues. Ensurge's manufacturing methods eliminate many of the complications faced by other battery assembly methods. The Ensurge microbattery's internal architecture allows it to be assembled in different sizes and thicknesses. This then allows the battery to be used in a wider variety of products. This adaptability gives OEM manufacturers greater flexibility to specify a battery which meets their needs, rather than designing their products around a conventional battery's limitations.
Higher VED for Better Performance
The Ensurge microbattery offers much higher VED than coin cell batteries. In other words, the batteries are smaller and have better energy density than conventional coin cell batteries. This means they can provide more battery capacity per unit size. Manufacturers can use that high VED in several ways, either with smaller products and/or with higher functionality plus longer operating times before it needs to be recharged. Ensurge microbatteries make smaller, more functional hearables a reality.
Types of Hearing Aids and Entertainment Wearables
Hearing aids are getting more and more sophisticated with each passing year, with filtered, and/or directed sound, smaller sizes, and more comfortable, more discreet shapes. Similarly, entertainment wearables have improved with better wireless performance, smaller size, longer operating times and more comfortable, discreet shapes. Ensurge microbatteries can help with these next-generation devices.
- In the ear hearing aids
- Behind the ear hearing aids
- Contralateral routing of signals (cros and bicros)
- Bone-anchored hearing systems
- Cochlear implants
- True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds