A cochlear implant consists of an audio processor which is worn behind the ear and an implant which is surgically placed underneath the skin behind the ear. The processor converts sound into digital information which is passed on to an electrode via the implant. The electrode is inserted deep into the cochlea, the pea-sized, spiral-shaped part of the inner ear. The electrode covers almost the whole length of the cochlea and directly stimulates the nerve fibres located throughout the cochlea. The auditory nerve transmits sound signals to the brain. This allows children who were born without hearing, as well as adults with a severe hearing loss, to regain their ability to hear.
