NOVELTY - A metal/air depolarized cell comprises a spacer disk (300) inserted within an air inlet region between a cathode can closed end and a cathode assembly, and comprising material having at least one aperture which through the spacer disk underlies at least one of the air holes in the cathode can closed end when the cell is viewed in vertical position with the cathode can on top.    USE - As batteries for electronic hearing aids including programmable type hearing aids.    ADVANTAGE - The invention improves cell performance and efficiency while simultaneously providing sufficient support for the cathode assembly so that it cannot bend or protrude into the air inlet space. The spacer disk provides sufficient support to the cathode assembly preventing it from bending into the air inlet space (plenum region) of the cathode can. The blotter paper retards the rate of transport of incoming air to the cathode assembly.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A metal/air depolarized cell comprises an anode can and a cathode can, an anode material (250) comprising zinc and alkaline electrolyte within the anode can, and a cathode assembly (230) comprising cathode material within the cathode can. The cathode can comprises an open end and opposing closed end and integral side wall. The cathode can closed end has an inside surface facing the cell interior and outside surface facing the external environment. The anode can comprises an open end and opposing closed end and integral side wall. The open end of the anode can resides within the open end of the cathode can with a portion of the cathode can side wall overlapping a portion of the anode can side wall with electrically insulating material between the overlapping wall portions. There is air hole(s) running through the cathode can closed end (249), and the cathode assembly resides within the cathode can in proximity to the closed end of the cathode can adjacent an air hole (243). There is an air inlet region between the inside surface of the closed end of the cathode can and the cathode assembly. There is a spacer disk inserted within the air inlet region and comprising material having at least one aperture that through the spacer disk underlies at least one of the air holes in the cathode can closed end when the cell is viewed in vertical position with the cathode can on top. The apertures in the spacer disk form continuous channels of unoccupied space (comprising 50-90% of the available space) between the air holes and the cathode assembly. The channels of unoccupied space have a diameter of at least 2 times the diameter of the air holes that they underlie. The air holes have a diameter of 7-35 mils. The disk cell has diameter of 4-20 mm and a height of 2-9 mm. The anode can and cathode can wall thicknesses are thin of 2-5 mils. The anode comprises less than 10 parts mercury per million parts of zinc by weight. The space disk comprises solid plastic or metal material, rubber material that resists compression, or a mesh of woven polymeric or nonwoven metal fibers.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure is an isometric cross sectional view of a zinc/air cell.    Cathode assembly (230)    Air hole (243)    Cathode can closed end (249)    Anode material (250)    Spacer disk (300)