Assistive Technology- Cochlear Implants By Anne Bartoszek

What Are Cochlear Implants? A Cochlear implant is a small, electronic device that helps provide sound to a person who is severely hard-of-hearing or who is severely deaf. A cochlear implant gives deaf users a sense of sound and helps in understanding speech. Cochlear implants do not produce normal hearing or make sounds louder like hearing aids do. “Cochlear implants merely compensates for damaged or non-working parts of the inner ear. They are similar to normally functioning parts of the inner ear that convert sound waves in the air into electrical impulses. These impulses are read by the brain as sound to an unimpaired individual” ( implants.html). implants.html “Cochlear implants, similarly, find useful sounds electronically and then send them to the brain. Though hearing through an implant sounds different from normal hearing, it enables many to communicate orally in person or over the telephone” (

Parts of a cochlear implant Speech Processor: arranges sounds picked up by a microphone. Microphone: allows sound from the environment to be picked up. Receiver/Stimulator & Transmitter: receives signals from the speech processor and converts them into electric impulses ( Electrode Array: a group of electrodes that collects the impulses from the stimulator and sends them to different regions of the auditory nerve (

How cochlear implants work 1.Sounds are picked up by the small, directional microphone located in the ear level processor. 2.The speech processor filters, analyzes and digitizes the sound into coded signals. 3.The coded signals are sent from the speech processor to the transmitting coil. 4.The transmitting coil sends the coded signals as FM radio signals to the cochlear implant under the skin.

How cochlear implants work (continued) 5.The cochlear implant delivers the appropriate electrical energy to the array of electrodes which has been inserted into the cochlea. 6. The electrodes along the array stimulate the remaining auditory nerve fibers in the cochlea. 7.The resulting electrical sound information is sent through the auditory system to the brain for interpretation. asp

How are cochlear implants different from hearing aides? Cochlear Implants are very different from a hearing aid. A hearing aid increases sounds so that they can be heard by impaired ears. “Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve” ( It takes time to learn how to hear through a Cochlear Implant.

Who receives cochlear implants? Children and adults that are hard-of- hearing or severely deaf can receive cochlear implants. Cochlear implants can benefit adults. Adults can learn how to recognize the signal provided by the implant with sounds that they memorize. Most children receive implants between the ages of two and six years old.

Who receives cochlear implants ( continued) Children who have cochlear implants can benefit from them by allowing them to help build upon their language, speech, and social skills. Helps children get back their sense of hearing.

How does someone receive cochlear implants? Cochlear implants are surgically implanted behind the person’s ear. A person with cochlear implants also receives a certain type of therapy to learn how to get a sense of hearing.

Manufactures of cochlear implants There are three different companies in the United States that manufacture cochlear implants: 1) Advanced Bionics Corporation Advanced Bionics Corporation »United States and Canada Advanced Bionics Headquarters Westinghouse Place Valencia, California USA Hours of Operation: 5 AM to 5 PM PST (877) US and Canada (800) TTY (661)

Manufactures of cochlear implants (continued) 2) Cochlear CorporationCochlear Corporation Cochlear Americas E. Peakview Avenue Centennial, CO USA Toll Free: Telephone: Fax: Office Hours: 8am - 5pm; Monday through Friday, Mountain Time

Manufactures of cochlear implants (continued) 3) Med-El Corporation Med-El Corporation - You can go to the internet and this corporation with any information that you may want.

If you need cochlear implants, does insurance cover it? Health insurance coverage for cochlear implants has improved over the past couple of years. Some health plans and care organizations provide benefits for the surgical procedure and the therapies to follow. The Veteran’s Administration, TRICARE, Medicare, and all federal health plans provide some benefits for cochlear implant surgery and services.

How much does it cost? Costs connected to cochlear implants starts at the pre-operation, surgery, post- operation, and therapy/rehabilitation. The average cost for the entire procedure including the post-operation and therapy/rehabilitation exceeds $40,000.

Would I recommend this product/procedure? I believe that the preparation, surgery, and post-operational therapies are worth the expensive cost. If a person is hard-of- hearing, or severely deaf, cochlear implants are seen as an opportunity to help him/ her. It is a way to restore a person’s hearing and allow them to live their life as a normal as they can.