How the cochlear implant works

A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing.

The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. An implant has the following parts: a microphone, a speech processor, a transmitter and receiver/stimulator which receives signals from the speech processor and converts them into electric impulses and an electrode array which sends impulses to the auditory nerve.