For people who suffer from severe and incapacitating hearing loss, there is now some more hope to have a sense of hearing. The electric cochlear implant has completely changed the way that many people are viewing the hearing health market. It grants people the ability to hear sounds without actually having to use the damaged structures in their ears that are responsible for the hearing loss. This important development is giving hope to millions of people whom rely upon modern technology to give them a chance to hear the world around them.
The Product
The electric cochlear implant is a device that is made up of five distinct pieces that each has a significant role to play in the function of the implant. The best way to look at the overall device is to look at the pieces that are implanted within the body and then those that are actually worn as an external device. The first piece that is on the inside is the electrode bundle, which is linked to the receiver that acts as a link between the inner body and the outside world. The individual wears the microphone, transmitter, and the speech conversion box on the outside of their ear or other places on the body.
How Does It Work?
The electric cochlear implant requires all of the aforementioned pieces to work in a specific order for the sound generation and interpretation to take place. First, the microphone array must take in sounds from the environment around the user. Then the sounds are pushed into the speech processing unit on the electric cochlear implant where they are sorted and reconfigured so that they can be sent to the transmitter. This part of the contraption takes the sound data and broadcasts it to the receiver, which is on the inside of the body. The receiver has to take in the data and send it down through the implantation site until it reaches the electrode bundle. The electrodes then work to send impulses through the nerves responsible for hearing until the individual is able to sense sound. Though it is not precise hearing, it is able to give people a sense of safety and independence throughout their lives.
Benefits
There are many reasons why people are seeing the electric cochlear implant as an advantageous device. First is the fact that it does not rely on damaged hearing structures and organs to gain partial hearing with a device. It creates hearing within the head of the individual. This means that even if you have not had a hearing sensation in your life, you may be able to gain this sense through one of these implants. While they can be expensive, the simple fact is that there is no price that can be put on the ability to talk with friends and family members.