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Cochlear implant

PHONETICS: Cochlear implants primarily benefit people with severe to profound nerve (sensorineural) deafness that is not helped by conventional hearing aids. Cochlear implants are not like conventional hearing aids that amplify sound and direct it into the ear canal.
The cochlear implant consists of two sets of components. One set consists of a microphone, a speech processor and a transmitter that are external. The other component, an electronic device that is implanted under the skin, receives the signal transmitted through the skin and directs it into the organ of hearing, the cochlea, in the inner ear. In normal hearing, the hair cells convert the vibrations into electrical impulses, which are then delivered by the auditory nerve to the brain. The cochlear implant bypasses the nonfunctioning hair cells by sending electrical signals directly to the hearing nerve. The brain interprets these electrical impulses as sound.

Cochlear Implant Components
How Does a Cochlear Implant Work