Cochlear implant

An electronic hearing device that converts sound into electrical signals and stimulates the auditory nerve, bypassing damaged cochlear hair cells.

Sound processor: An electronic unit that analyzes incoming sound and converts it into coded signals for a cochlear implant. It captures sound and determines the stimulation pattern sent to the implant.
Hair cell: A sensory cell that converts mechanical vibrations into electrical signals in the inner ear. Cochlear implants compensate for hair cells that cannot provide adequate stimulation.
Cochlear implant candidacy: The clinical assessment of whether a person is likely to benefit from cochlear implantation. Audiological results and communication needs guide decisions about implantation.
Hearing aid: A device that amplifies sound for a person with hearing loss. Unlike an implant, it relies on functioning inner-ear sensory cells to convey amplified sound.
Electrode array: A set of contacts positioned inside the cochlea to deliver electrical pulses to auditory nerve fibers. Its contacts stimulate different cochlear regions to represent sound frequencies.
Sensorineural hearing loss: Hearing loss caused by damage to inner-ear sensory structures or the auditory nerve. This is the broad type of hearing impairment cochlear implants are designed to address.
Cochlear implant surgery: An operation that places an electrode array in the cochlea and a receiver beneath the skin. Surgery positions the internal components needed for electrical stimulation.
Auditory brainstem implant: An implanted device that stimulates the cochlear nucleus in the brainstem rather than the auditory nerve. It can provide an alternative when the auditory nerve cannot be used.
Auditory nerve: The nerve carrying electrical signals from the cochlea to brain regions that process hearing. The implant relies on these fibers to carry its electrical signals to the brain.
Hearing threshold: The quietest sound detectable under specified listening conditions. Threshold measurements help characterize hearing before and after implantation.

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