Cochlear Implants - What are they?
A child who is so deaf that he cannot benefit from the most powerful hearing aids is deprived of hearing the everyday sounds that we take for granted - the conversation of his family.
Without hearing others speak it is almost impossible for a child to develop spoken language, thus presenting significant difficulties in educational attainment, employment prospects and quality of life.
A cochlear implant can give these children renewed hope for the future by providing useful hearing with access to environmental sounds and spoken language. With appropriate post cochlear implant care and support, these children have the opportunity to develop intelligible spoken language themselves with all that this offers for their futures.
The inner ear, or cochlea, enables us to hear. It is here that sound entering our ears is converted into electrical signals by the tiny hair cells. These electrical signals are carried to the brain by the hearing nerve.
If the hair cells in the cochlea are so badly damaged that even powerful hearing aids are ineffective, a cochlear implant may be of help.
Please follow these links to the cochlear implant companies' own websites:
Advanced Bionics - manufacturer of the Clarion cochlear implant.
Cochlear - manufacturer of the Nucleus cochlear implant
Neurelec - manufacturer of the Digisonic SP cochlear implant