choclear implants

• • Used by people with profound hearing loss
• • Converts sound into electrical signals and directly stimulates the auditory nerve
• • Receiver: Surgically implanted into the patient's skull. Fine wires attach receiver to cochlea.
• • Microphone: behind patient's ear picks up sound
• • Speech processor: converts sound to electrical signal
• • Transmitting coil: sends message as radio signal to receiver. Wires stimulate auditory nerve stimulating brain
• • Provides hearing to profoundly deaf people
• • Highly expensive→ ongoing costs AND surgery
• • Operation has side effects e.g infection, drooping face, numb tounge due to nerve damage
• • Wearer must learn to interpret sounds again
• • Success of implant is limited if auditory nerve of brain is damaged