A Cochlear Implant is a small electronic device surgically implanted in and behind the ear to help deaf people hear. The implants do not restore hearing completely, but they allow sound to bypass damaged cells in the inner ear and stimulate the auditory nerve directly, thereby helping people with profound to severe hearing loss perceive sound. Both children and adults can benefit from a cochlear implant.
The device consists of several external parts that sit behind the ear (a microphone, speech processor, and transmitter), a receiver placed under the skin, and electrodes implanted inside the ear (in the cochlea). The electrodes receive signals from the external parts of the device and send these signals to the auditory nerve.