There is a greater glimmer of hope for people who suffer from irreparable hearing loss, and it is called the electric cochlear implant. These devices have the ability to skip the damaged parts of the ear and stimulate hearing to occur directly within the brain of the individual that is using the device. Since this technological wonder has not gotten much attention on the news, it is imperative to show the technical aspects and benefits of this device throughout this article, in hopes that some will find the surgery to be a worthwhile option.
Pieces Of The Whole
There are many different parts of the electric cochlear implant that make it a very powerful device. It is easiest to classify these devices by their location throughout the body or on the user. The microphone is typically worn on the outside of the ear or attached like an earplug. The speech processor usually resides in a box along that same wire. The receiver is usually placed behind the user’s ear. Implanted beneath the skin are the receiver unit and then the electrode bundle is actually surgically implanted within the user of the device. Together, they form this electric cochlear implant device.
The Function
The cochlear implant needs each of the aforementioned devices to work correctly in order to induce sounds. The microphone needs to pick up the sound information that is occurring around the user of the implant. Then, the sound will travel along the electrical wire to the speech processor where the sounds are sorted and given priority as a magnetic signal. After this happens, the sounds go to the transmitter device that is behind the ear of the user. The transmitter sends the new type of sound through the skin barrier where it is picked up by the receiver device. The receiver interprets the sound again, and sends it along the implant to the electrode cluster that is on the auditory nerve. It uses specific types of electricity to stimulate the nerve so that it produces the right type of sound sensations within the brain, allowing the implant user to hear the original sounds.
The Incredible Benefits
There are many different reasons that people have found this device to be one of the greatest developments in hearing health. First and foremost is the fact that these hearing devices do not need to use the ears in order to create sound. This means that no matter how damaged a person’s ears may be, the electrical cochlear implant has the ability to help them hear some sounds once again. People who have used this implant have been able to have a face to face conversation, talk on the phone, and even listen to music as a result of the incredible technology within the electric cochlear implant. All of these are great motivation for people who suffer from severe hearing impairment.
