Cochlear Implants

About

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FDA-approved cochlear implant

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1 = cochlear implant

2 = body-worn speech processor

3 = behind-the-ear style speech processor

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A cochlear implant is a prosthetic device that partially restores hearing function in individuals who have severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss; it is not a hearing aid.

Regardless of the manufacturer or brand, all cochlear implant systems operate in basically the same way:

A microphone picks up sounds. The sounds travel through a thin cable to a speech processor. The patient wears the processor on a belt or in a pocket. Newer models are worn behind the ear. The processor converts the signal into an electrical code and sends the code back up the cable to the transmitter fastened to the head. The transmitter sends the code across the skin to a receiver-stimulator implanted in bone directly beneath the transmitter. The stimulator sends the code down a tiny bundle of wires threaded directly into the cochlea (snail-shaped primary hearing organ). Nerve fibers are activated by electrode bands on this bundle of wires. The auditory nerve carries the signal to the brain, which interprets the signal as a form of hearing.

Types of Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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