# US 2018/0027345 A1 · Battery positioning in an external device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0027345 A1 - Document ID: US20180027345A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/213,786 - Filed: 2016-07-19 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-19 - Assignees: Cochlear Limited - Inventors: Werner MESKENS - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180027345A1 ## CPC - H04R 25/602: {of batteries} - H04R 25/554: {using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils} - H04R 25/606: {acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window} - H04R 2225/021: Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids - H04R 2225/31: Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells - H04R 2225/67: Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606 - H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones - H04R 2460/13: Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract An external headpiece of an implantable hearing aid system, including an RF coil, a sound processing apparatus, a battery, and a magnet configured to support the headpiece against skin of the recipient via a transcutaneous magnetic coupling with an implanted magnet implanted in a recipient, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical battery extends through the magnet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An external headpiece of a hearing prosthesis, comprising: an RF coil; a sound processing apparatus; a cylindrical battery; and a magnet configured to support the headpiece against skin of the recipient via a transcutaneous magnetic coupling with an implanted magnet implanted in a recipient, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical battery extends through the magnet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The external headpiece of claim 1, wherein the external headpiece is a button sound processor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The external headpiece of claim 1, further comprising: a housing apparatus, wherein the magnet is located within the housing apparatus, and wherein the magnet retains the battery locationally within the housing apparatus. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The external headpiece of claim 1, further comprising: a housing apparatus, wherein the magnet is located within the housing apparatus, and wherein the magnet retains the battery against an electrical contact in electrical communication with the sound processing apparatus. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The external headpiece of claim 4, wherein: the magnet is part of a magnet assembly, and wherein the contact is established by the magnet assembly. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The external headpiece of claim 1, wherein: the magnet, the battery and the RF coil are coaxial with one another. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The external headpiece of claim 1, wherein: the external headpiece is configured such that an additional magnet can be added to the external headpiece, wherein the addition of the magnet changes the location of the battery relative to that which was the case prior to the addition of the additional magnet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The external headpiece of claim 1, further comprising: a housing encasing the magnet, wherein the magnet is fixed relative to the housing. ### Claim 9 An external component of a hearing prosthesis, comprising: a battery; an electrically powered component; and a magnet apparatus, wherein the magnet apparatus provides a path for electricity to flow from the battery to the electrically powered component or provides a path to complete the circuit from the electrically powered component to the battery. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The external component of claim 9, wherein: the external component is a button sound processor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The external component of claim 9, wherein: the battery is an air battery having an anode can surface in direct contact with the magnet apparatus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The external component of claim 9, wherein: the battery is an air battery having an anode can surface in direct contact with the magnet apparatus such that the magnet apparatus forms a negative contact of the circuit in which the electrically powered component is apart. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The external component of claim 9, further comprising: a plurality of magnets apparatuses including the magnet apparatus, wherein the plurality of magnet apparatus provides the path for electricity to flow from the battery to the electrically powered component or provide the path to complete the circuit from the electrically powered component to the battery. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The external component of claim 9, wherein: the external component is configured such that the battery is variably positionable within the external component to accommodate a variable volume taken up by one or more magnetic components configured to adhere the external component to a recipient via a transcutaneous magnetic link, the one or more magnetic components including the magnet apparatus. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The external component of claim 9, wherein: the battery and the magnet apparatus are aligned with respect to their longitudinal axes. ### Claim 16 An external component of a prosthesis, comprising: a battery; and a magnet apparatus, wherein the external component is configured such that a magnetic force generated by the magnet apparatus applies a force onto the battery such that the battery is urged against an electrical contact of a circuit of which the battery is apart. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The external component of claim 16, wherein: the external component is an external headpiece of an implantable hearing prosthesis; the external component includes a sound processing apparatus; and the battery is concentric with the magnet apparatus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The external component of claim 16, wherein: the external component is configured such that the magnetic force pulls the battery against the electrical contact. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The external component of claim 16, wherein: the electrical contact is a component separate from the magnet apparatus. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The external component of claim 16, wherein: the electrical contact is the magnet apparatus. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The external component of claim 16, wherein: the external component is devoid of any battery force application components beyond that resulting from the magnetic force of the magnet apparatus. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The external component of claim 16, wherein: the battery and the magnet apparatus are physically separated by a partition. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The external component of claim 16, wherein: the external component includes an RF inductance coil; and the location of the battery with respect to a plane on which the coil extends is such that the Q factor of the coil is higher than that which would be the case if the battery was located at any other location in a direction parallel to that plane within the external component. ### Claim 24 A method, comprising: obtaining a headpiece for a prosthesis, the headpiece including an electronic component of the prosthesis; attaching a magnet to the headpiece, the magnet establishing a magnetic field that extends external to the headpiece; and attaching a battery to the headpiece, wherein the action of attaching the magnet to the headpiece controls a location of the battery. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein: the battery is held in place within the headpiece as a result of the magnetic field generated by the magnet. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising: before the action of attaching the magnet to the headpiece, wearing the headpiece against skin of the recipient supported via a first transcutaneous magnetic coupling established by another magnet in the headpiece; and wearing the headpiece against skin of the recipient supported via a second transcutaneous magnetic coupling established by the magnet. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein: the action of attaching the battery to the headpiece includes placing the battery into the magnetic field established by the magnet such that the battery is attracted towards the magnet. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein: the action of attaching the battery to the headpiece includes placing the battery into electrical conductivity with a component of the battery assembly of which the battery is apart. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein: the action of attaching the magnet to the headpiece includes placing the magnet over another magnet already in the headpiece, thereby increasing a strength of a magnetic field generated by the headpiece, wherein the magnetic field is configured to adhere the headpiece against a head of a recipient via a transcutaneous magnetic coupling established at least in part by the magnetic field. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein: the action of attaching the magnet to the headpiece includes placing the magnet over a non-magnetic spacer already in the headpiece.