Why cochlear implants are different
Unlike hearing aids, cochlear implants don’t just amplify sounds. They mimic the natural hearing function of the inner ear through electronic stimulation. The system has two parts – an external sound processor and the actual cochlear implant. Incoming sounds are processed into electrical signals and then transmitted directly to the hearing nerve, bypassing the damaged parts of the inner ear.
Courtesy of Cochlear Limited, 2015
Courtesy of Cochlear Limited, 2015