A cochlear implant is an electronic device designed to provide
useful hearing and improved communication ability to individuals who are
profoundly hearing impaired and unable to achieve speech understanding with
hearing aids. Hearing aids (and other types of assistive listening devices) make
sounds louder and deliver the amplified sounds to the ear. For individuals with a
profound hearing loss, even the most powerful hearing aids may provide little to
no benefit.
A profoundly deaf ear is typically one in which the sensory receptors of the inner ear, called hair cells, are damaged or diminished. Making sounds louder or increasing the level of amplification does not enable such an ear to process sound. In contrast, cochlear implants bypass damaged hair cells and directly stimulate the hearing nerves with electrical current, allowing individuals who are profoundly or totally deaf to receive sound.
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