Where is the cochlear implant attached

Editorial team. One part of the device is surgically implanted into the bone surrounding the ear temporal bone. It is made up of a receiver-stimulator, which accepts, decodes, and then sends an electrical signal to the brain. The second part of the cochlear implant is an outside device. This part of the implant receives the sound, converts the sound into an electrical signal, and sends it to the inside part of the cochlear implant.

Although criteria are slightly different for adults and children, they are based on similar guidelines: The person should be completely or almost completely deaf in both ears, and get almost no improvement with hearing aids.

Anyone who can hear well enough with hearing aids is not a good candidate for cochlear implants. The person needs to be highly motivated. After the cochlear implant is placed, they must learn how to properly use the device. The person needs to have reasonable expectations for what will occur after surgery. The device does not restore or create "normal" hearing.

Children need to be enrolled in programs that help them learn how to process sound. In order to determine if a person is a candidate for a cochlear implant, the person must be examined by an ear, nose, and throat ENT doctor otolaryngologist.

People will also need specific types of hearing tests performed with their hearing aids on. People especially children may need to be assessed by a psychologist to determine if they are good candidates. Sound is picked up by a microphone worn near the ear. This sound is sent to a speech processor, which is most often connected to the microphone and worn behind the ear. The sound is analyzed and converted into electrical signals, which are sent to a surgically implanted receiver behind the ear.

This receiver sends the signal through a wire into the inner ear. From there, the electrical impulses are sent to the brain. A surgical cut is made behind the ear, sometimes after shaving part of the hair behind the ear. A microscope and bone drill are used to open the bone behind the ear mastoid bone to allow the inside part of the implant to be inserted. The electrode array is passed into the inner ear cochlea. The receiver is placed into a pocket created behind the ear. You or your child might need to:.

You or your child will need a detailed medical evaluation to determine if cochlear implants are a good option. A doctor will conduct an evaluation that may include:. Your surgeon will make a cut incision behind your ear, and form a small hole in the portion of skull bone mastoid where the internal device rests.

Your surgeon will then create a small opening in the cochlea in order to thread the electrode of the internal device. The skin incision is stitched closed so that the internal device is under your skin. An audiologist won't turn on activate the cochlear implants for about two to six weeks after your surgery — to give the surgery site time to heal. Rehabilitation involves training your brain to understand sounds heard through the cochlear implant. Speech and everyday environmental noises will sound different from what you remember.

Your brain needs time to recognize what these sounds mean. This process is ongoing and is best achieved by wearing the speech processor continuously during waking hours. Results of cochlear implant surgery vary from person to person. Factors that can affect the outcomes of cochlear implantation include the age when hearing was lost, and the length of time between hearing loss and the cochlear implant surgery.

For adults, the best results are generally associated with a shorter period of profound hearing loss before cochlear implantation. Adults with little or no experience with sound tend to benefit less from cochlear implants.

Explore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions. Cochlear implants care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview How cochlear implants work Open pop-up dialog box Close. How cochlear implants work A cochlear implant uses a sound processor that you wear behind your ear. Matt Little: Very happy. Melinda Little: She loves her daddy. Vivien Williams: Baby Aida can't hear any of it. She was born deaf.

Lisa Schimmenti, M. Vivien Williams: Surgeon Dr. Matthew Carlson is also on Aida's care team. Matt Little: "Hi, beautiful. Can you hear me? It's Daddy. Hi, Aida. Rather than amplifying sound—which helps a person with residual hearing ability—a cochlear implant provides the sense of sound by stimulating the auditory nerve directly. Cochlear implants do not cure hearing loss or restore hearing, but they do provide an opportunity for the severely hard of hearing or deaf to perceive the sensation of sound by bypassing the damaged inner ear.

Cochlear implants do not cure hearing loss or restore hearing, but they do help people with profound or total hearing loss to perceive the sensation of sound. More: What is the difference between a hearing aid and a cochlear implant? The following are general guidelines; candidacy depends on many other factors, as well. To determine if you or a loved one might benefit from a cochlear implant, check with your audiologist , ENT doctor or hearing healthcare professional.

Children with hearing loss as young as 12 months old may be eligible for a cochlear implant. Experts recommend implantation as early as possible to expose children to sounds during the critical period of language acquisition.

After implantation, they must undergo intense speech and language therapy to achieve the best possible outcome from the device. Adults may qualify for cochlear implantation regardless of whether they lost their hearing before or after learning language.

Those adults who developed language before losing their hearing postlingually deafened typically have greater success with cochlear implants than those who had not developed language before losing their hearing prelingually deafened. Adult candidates are generally eligible for an implant if they:. Yes, older adults can absolutely get cochlear implants, too. In fact, the average age of a cochlear implant recipient is 65, but even seniors over years old can be candidates!

Read more: Older adults and cochlear implants. A cochlear implant operates using two main components: An external part that hooks over the ear or that's worn off the ear on the head , and a surgically implanted internal part.

The two components are coupled using a powerful magnet. The external component of a cochlear implant contains a microphone, a speech processor and a transmitter. The microphone and speech processor are housed in a small unit that looks like a behind-the-ear hearing aid on some models. Others are worn on the head. A small wire usually links them to the transmitter, which is positioned over the internal part of the device. The microphone picks up acoustic sounds and sends it to the speech processor.

The processor analyzes and digitizes the signal before sending it to the transmitter. The transmitter then codes the signals and sends them to the implanted receiver via the magnetic coupling.

The internal part of a cochlear implant includes a receiver, which is located under the skin on the temporal bone, and one or more electrode arrays.

The receiver collects the signals from the transmitter and converts them to electrical pulses. It then dispatches the pulses to the electrodes that have been inserted deeply into the inner ear. These electrodes directly stimulate the auditory nerve throughout a portion of the cochlea and the brain then interprets these signals as sound.

To determine if you or a loved one is eligible for an implant, you will first need to undergo audiological and psychological testing, a medical exam and imaging studies.

You also may receive counseling to make sure you understand the large follow-up commitment required after the implant surgery, as well as what to expect regarding device performance and limitations. After that step, the next step is usually implantation surgery, which is done under general anesthesia.

It typically takes between two and four hours and most people spend one night in the hospital. Being able to hear opens up a world of possibilities for children and parents. Find out how. The Nucleus Implant System provides small, simple and smart solutions designed to maximize hearing performance. Please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome.

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