SYSTEM

SOLAR BATTERY CHARGER FOR BODY LEVEL HEARING AIDS

REQUIREMENT

There are a variety of hearing aids avialable from the smallest type to the very low cost 'body level' type. The smaller hearing aids are not only expensive in cost but are also expensive to use in terms of battery replacements. Hearing impaired in the economically weaker section cannot afford the smaller aids and prefer using the low cost body level type hearing aids. The low cost body level hearing aids also use batteries and have operational costs to operate in terms of battery change. The cost of using such a aid is a economic burden for many , availability of batteries everywhere is another problem specially in remote areas. 

The Government of India distributes a large number of body level hearing aids across the country to the economically weaker section free of cost. It was found after the first set of batteries supplied with aid were used a large number of users abandoned the aid unable to buy the batteries or find them easily. To address this issue of and ensure seamles usage of the hearing aids a Solar Battery charger was designed. The solar charger is provided with a pair of chargeable batteries and a solar charger. The solar charger would charge a battery while another battery would be working in the hearing aid, the moment the battery inside the hearing aid is exhausted the charged battery from the solar charger would be inserted into the hearing aid for use, the exhausted battery would next be charged in the solar charger, this ensured continuous usage of the hearing aid.

The biggest advantage was the ZERO cost operation of the hearing aids. Children who had just begun to use the hearing aids would often conserve power by switching off the aids and switching it on selectively only when they felt they needed to hear something, this lead to the loss of understanding of several surrounding sounds and also properly understanding the teaching in classrooms, the solar battery charger ensured that the user need not switch off the aid to conserve power but could use it at all times. The seamless use of the hearing aid ensured a greater understanding of all surrounding sounds and better education for growing children. 

The Solar battery charger for the body level hearing aids has millions of users. The aid has just 2 batteries which will last over 9 years  and has helped save ecology by avoiding millions of used batteries from being dumped if regular batteries had been used.

The innovation / product won the 'NATIONAL AWARD' in 1995

TARGET AREA / POPULATION

The target population for the solar battery charger is Body level hearing aid users from the economically weaker sections.

INNOVATION and DESIGN FACTOR

The innovation factor in the system are ;

• Design of a rugged all weather solar charger.

• Design of portable ergonomic design for ease of use.

• Designing a device which can be used even by an unskilled illeterate user.

• Low cost of device

• Long life of all components.

ROAD AHEAD

None, the design has reached its optimal state.