8/6/2013· Medical - Medicine
By: Michael Gossman
Cochlear implants, via direct electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve, allow the restoration of hearing and speech recognition in both adults and children having sensorineural deafness. These devices typically contain both extemal components (speech processor, microphone, transmitter) and intemal components (including the cochlear stimulator and electrode array), which are surgically placed under the skin behind the ear and in the cochlea.