Solar-Powered Hearing Aids are Affordable and Efficient

Traditional hearing aids need their batteries replaced weekly…get that?  Weekly!  They also cost a ton of money.  To cut down on the price and waste, a Brazilian company called Solar Ear has created hearing aids that run on rechargeable batteries and come with a palm-sized solar charger.  The batteries in Solar Ear hearing aids last two to three years and require a 6-8 hour sun charge weekly, greatly improving the current hearing aid options.  Another benefit is the price, around $100, which actually makes it a viable option for the impoverished and uninsured, as well as people in developing nations without access to batteries or electricity.

The rise of solar medical devices could significantly impact the current model the industry operates under, provided it takes off like it seems it should.  Currently, Solar Ear products can be found in Brazil, Botswana and Palestine’s West Bank, but the company hopes to expand to China, Mexico, India and Canada in 2010.  Solar Ear has also given jobs to the deaf; believe it or not, all of the company’s employees are deaf.

I love this.  In fact, if I could find a pair, I’d buy them for my mother-in-law.  Beyond the poor quality, the style batteries she uses are so small that they’re hard to work with and easy to lose, so Solar Ear could greatly simplify her life.  I’m still reeling from the fact that hearing aid batteries need to be changed weekly, which amazes me.  Throwing away batteries feels a lot like throwing away money – or buying cigarettes. It’s rather pointless in terms of the return.

Source: Inhabitant.com

Posted on January 12th in Solar Products by Craig.