Understanding how the inner ear functions is the key to understanding what cochlear implants are and how they work.

The cochlea, located in the inner ear, has hair cells that receive sound from the outer and middle ear, change them into sound signals, and then transmit them to the brain via the auditory nerve, where they are interpreted as meaningful sound. Damage to the hair cells leads to permanent sensorineural hearing loss, which is usually addressed by hearing aids. When the damage in the cochlea is so extensive or sound does not make it to the inner ear due to conductive hearing loss issues, a cochlear implant bypasses the damaged sound pathway to assist with the production and transmission of electrical impulses (sound signals) directly to the auditory nerve.

Cochlear implants include two components: a processor worn behind the ear that is similar in appearance to a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid, and an internal electrode that requires cochlear implant surgery to insert it into the cochlea. The BTE processor receives and processes the sounds around you and then transmits the sound signals to the implanted electrode, which sends the electrical impulses to the brain.

Cochlear implants were cutting-edge technology in the 1970s when they first received FDA approval, but thanks to breakthroughs in digital technology, the capabilities of today’s cochlear implants far exceed what was possible with those early devices.

Whether used in conjunction with hearing aids or as an alternative solution, cochlear implants are an advanced tool used to overcome various hearing loss challenges for children and adults that hearing aids alone cannot.