The bridge between
sound and the brain.
A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can partially restore hearing for people with severe to profound hearing loss. Unlike a hearing aid, which amplifies sound, a cochlear implant bypasses damaged parts of the inner ear and stimulates the auditory nerve directly.
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i.
Two parts — an external sound processor and an internal implant.
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ii.
Sound is converted into electrical signals.
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iii.
The auditory nerve carries those signals to the brain.
How a cochlear implant works.
Scroll to follow the journey of sound — from the eardrum, through the cochlea, to the implant and the auditory nerve.
A two-part system.
Sound processor
A small device worn behind the ear. It captures sound with a microphone, codes it, and transmits it wirelessly across the skin to the internal implant.
Implant & electrode array
Surgically placed under the skin, with an electrode array inserted into the cochlea. It converts incoming signals into electrical impulses that stimulate the auditory nerve.
From sound, to signal, to the brain.
Capture
The processor's microphone picks up sound from the world around you.
Code
Sound is processed and converted into a digital code optimised for hearing.
Transmit
Signals cross the skin to the implant, where they become electrical impulses.
Hear
The auditory nerve carries the impulses to the brain, which interprets them as sound.