What are cochlear implants?
Cochlear implants are tiny electronic devices surgically implanted behind the ear. They are not hearing aids, which amplify sounds the ear already hears; rather, while the implants do not restore a deaf person’s hearing, they help a person to understand the sounds in their environment, such as speech. The implant consists of a microphone to pick up sound, a speech processor to process that sound, a transmitter/receiver which converts the sound information to electrical impulses, and electrodes that send those impulses to the brain.
Cochlear implants are for patients with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss who would not benefit from hearing aids. A cochlear implant allows sound waves to bypass the nonfunctional inner ear and convert them into impulses that stimulate the cochlear nerve. This is done by surgically placing an internal receiver beneath the skin behind the ear and an electrode array into the cochlea. The electrical signals are then manipulated by an audiologist to maximize speech perception. The brain then interprets these electrical impulses as recognizable sounds.
