Cochlear Implants By Di’Aundria Davis

What is a cochlear implant? A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing.

What does the Cochlear Implant consist of? A microphone, which picks up sound from the environment. A speech processor, which selects and arranges sounds picked up by the microphone. A transmitter and receiver/stimulator, which receive signals from the speech processor and convert them into electric impulses. An electrode array, which is a group of electrodes that collects the impulses from the stimulator and sends them to different regions of the auditory nerve.

How does the Cochlear Implant work? Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Signals generated by the implant are sent by way of the auditory nerve to the brain, which recognizes the signals as sound. Hearing through a cochlear implant is different from normal hearing and takes time to learn or relearn. However, it allows many people to recognize warning signals, understand other sounds in the environment, and enjoy a conversation in person or by telephone. http://www.boystownhospital.org/SiteColl ectionDocuments/Flash/normal.swf

Who gets a Cochlear Implant? Children and adults who are deaf or severely hard-of-hearing can be fitted for cochlear implants. Statistics: In the U.S. alone, 42,600 adults and 28,400 children have received a cochlear implant. In the year 2000, FDA (Food and Drug Administration) lowered the eligibility age to 12 months of age.

ADULTS with a Cochlear Implant Adults who have lost all or most of their hearing later in life often can benefit from cochlear implants. They learn to associate the signal provided by an implant with sounds they remember.

CHILDREN with a Cochlear Implant Most children who receive implants are between two and six years old. Early implantation provides exposure to sounds that can be helpful during the critical period when children learn speech and language skills. Cochlear implants, coupled with intensive post-implantation therapy, can help young children to acquire speech, language, and social skills.

Surgical Process Use of a cochlear implant requires both a surgical procedure and significant therapy to learn or relearn the sense of hearing. The average cost for the entire procedure, including the post- operative aural rehabilitation process, exceeds $40,000. A small area of your head will be shaved. The surgeon makes an incision behind your ear and carefully lifts the skin and tissue to uncover the mastoid bone. A small depression is made in the mastoid bone where the body of the implant will be placed. A hole is drilled through the bone to reach the cochlea. Through a small opening in the cochlea the surgeon inserts the electrode array. The incision is closed and your head is bandaged.

After Surgery It takes between two and five weeks for the swelling to go down and the site needs to heal before you are fitted with your external speech processor. After you are fitted, the audiologist will activate your implant and it will take time for you to recognize and adjust to sound. This process normally takes a few days up to a few weeks. Once everything is activated and the cochlear implant candidate is doing well, the doctor will only see you once a year post surgery to make sure everything is okay with you and your implant.

ALLIE’S COCHLEAR IMPLANT ACTIVATION http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJpNaWigxRE&feature=player_detailpage