Cochlear implants

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Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants (pronunciation: /ˈkɒklɪər ˈɪmplænts/) are a type of medical device that can provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing.

Etymology

The term "cochlear" comes from the Latin word cochlea, meaning "snail," referring to the spiral shape of the inner ear. The word "implant" is derived from the Latin implantare meaning "to insert."

Function

Cochlear implants bypass the damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Signals generated by the implant are sent by way of the auditory nerve to the brain, which recognizes the signals as sound.

Components

A cochlear implant system consists of two main components: an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. The external component, or sound processor, captures sound, converts it into a digital code and transmits the code to the internal component. The internal component, or implant, converts the digitally-coded sound into electrical signals and sends them to the electrodes implanted in the cochlea.

Related Terms

  • Audiology: The study of hearing disorders, including evaluation of hearing function and rehabilitation of patients with hearing impairments.
  • Audiologist: A healthcare professional who identifies, assesses, and manages disorders of the auditory and balance systems.
  • Hearing Aid: A device that amplifies sound for individuals with hearing loss.
  • Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A type of hearing loss in which the root cause lies in the inner ear or sensory organ (cochlea and associated structures) or the vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve VIII).

See Also

External links

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