| For those with profound hearing loss, the world is | | | | sending the sounds to the implanted internal part which |
| silent. The cochlear nerve, also known as the | | | | receives the sounds. The internal part, the receiver, is |
| auditory nerve, is damaged beyond repair. The tiny | | | | called a receiver/stimulator and includes a |
| hair cells located in the cochlea responsible for moving | | | | micro-computer, radio antenna, magnet and electrode |
| electrical impulses to the brain, are no longer viable. | | | | array. The magnets are of opposite polarity and hold |
| This has resulted in profound deafness for individuals | | | | the external device over the internal device. The |
| with this condition. It can happen at any time before | | | | radio-frequency antennas allow digital communication |
| birth, or long after being born. | | | | between the internal and external parts. |
| All is not lost. With the advent of scientific | | | | Sound is picked up by the microphone, which sends |
| technological advances, the cochlear implant may give | | | | the sound to the speech processor (microcomputer). |
| new life to a deaf existence. People who can not | | | | The sound is processed into signals then sent to the |
| hear at all may finally be able to hear sounds they | | | | transmitting antenna. The signals are then sent to |
| have lost the capacity to hear, or hear sounds they | | | | electrodes that stimulates the undamaged area of the |
| have never heard before. | | | | cochlear nerve fibers. The signals are then sent to |
| The cochlear implant is a hearing device that is | | | | the brain where they are interpreted by the brain into |
| surgically implanted on the side of the head, behind the | | | | sound. |
| ear, in the temporal bone. There is an external part | | | | The cochlear implant does not restore hearing as we |
| that fits around the ear and is worn much like a "behind | | | | know it. What it actually does is translate sound into a |
| the ear" (BTE) hearing aid. The device replaces the | | | | signal that is sent to the brain. The brain translates this |
| work of damaged inner ear structures, using vibration | | | | signal into information that can be recognized as sound |
| that send signals to the brain for interpretation. | | | | coming from the environment. |
| How does the cochlear implant work? | | | | Age is significant in being able to translate the sound |
| The cochlear implant device is comprised of internal | | | | produced. Young children apparently have no |
| and external pieces. The external part consists | | | | problem doing this. The older a person is, the more |
| of:microphonebatterymagnetradio-frequency antenna | | | | difficulty there is in performing the translation. |
| that transmits soundmicro-computer that processes | | | | Concentrated training is required, performed by a |
| sound | | | | professional who is skilled in administering this type of |
| The micro computer converts sounds into signals, | | | | training. |