Energous Corporation (Nasdaq: WATT)—the developer of WattUp, a wireless charging technology—announced that EarTechnic has selected WattUp to wirelessly charge its upcoming hearing device, Tie-X. For many users, frequently replacing tiny hearing aid batteries can be problematic, according to the company.

“Hearing aids are a prime example of small electronic devices that can benefit from WattUp’s wireless charging 2.0 platform. Eliminating the need to constantly change batteries, which can also enable hermetically sealed designs, is a very compelling use case for this market,” said Stephen R. Rizzone, President and CEO of Energous. “Our WattUp hearing aid developer kits enable manufacturers like EarTechnic to efficiently and cost effectively integrate the next-generation wireless charging into their devices.”

Related article: NewSound Receives FCC Approval for Primo W Hearing Aid

Hearing aids can be life-changing for those with hearing loss, however, for the elderly this can comes with a downside, according to Energous: the cost and nuisance of purchasing and replacing batteries. Energous’ WattUp wireless charging technology is based on radio frequency (RF), which helps provide “a number of benefits for wireless charging, including the ability to fit into small form- factor products and devices without flat surfaces.” WattUp’s technology ecosystem—which is said to support both at-contact and over-the-air wireless charging—can help reduce placement and interference issues that consumers experience with coil-based solutions, according to the company’s announcement. WattUp can also be monitored by a smartphone app to alert the wearer when battery levels are running low.

“We evaluated a number of wireless charging platforms and were impressed by Energous’ WattUp technology as it provides the sizing, flexibility, and overall functionality we need for our next-generation Tie-X hearing aid,” said EarTechnic CEO M. Emin AGAC. “We strive to use the very latest technology in our efforts to design best-in-class, user-friendly hearing devices.”

For more information about EarTechnic, please visit EarTechnic.com. You can also learn more about the Tie series of hearing aids at Earnet.com, HelixHearing.com, and TieHearingAid.com. To learn more about Energous, please visit Energous.com or follow the company on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Source: Energous