Cochlear Implant
Description of Aid
A cochlear implant is an artificial hearing device, also called the Bionic Ear. It uses an external microphone and a speech processor to stimulate the auditory nerve through embedded electrodes in the cochlea. The technology helps hearing impaired people who are profoundly deaf and/or have damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve.
Position and Type of Energy Transfer Occurring
In terms of the position and type of energy transfer occurring, cochlear implants were developed to bypass dead hair cells and electrically stimulate the auditory nerve directly. They consist of three main components: the cochlear implant package and receiver-stimulator, a speech processor and a headset. The receiver is implanted in the patient’s skull. A fine wire attaches the receiver to the …show more content…
Through research over recent years, doctors in the area of medicine of otorhinolaryngology have found that the cochlear implant works best for people who have lost their hearing after learning to speak.
Limitations of Technology
The technology has improved over time, but the success of the implant has varied considerably from person to person. Limitations include:
- The cost: needs surgery to place implant in position and tune to different frequencies and this involves costs.
- Post-operative side-effects, such as a droopy face and numbness o the tongue.
- Adjustment by the wearer to a different lifestyle and the sensation if hearing sounds. For example, the functioning of each person’s hearing pathway is different, so each speech processor needs to be programmed to output sounds that suit the wearer’s hearing. The programming takes time to get used to and to adjust. It needs to be adjusted for different situations such as listening to music or watching TV. This can be frustrating for the
A cochlear implant is an artificial hearing device, also called the Bionic Ear. It uses an external microphone and a speech processor to stimulate the auditory nerve through embedded electrodes in the cochlea. The technology helps hearing impaired people who are profoundly deaf and/or have damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve.
Position and Type of Energy Transfer Occurring
In terms of the position and type of energy transfer occurring, cochlear implants were developed to bypass dead hair cells and electrically stimulate the auditory nerve directly. They consist of three main components: the cochlear implant package and receiver-stimulator, a speech processor and a headset. The receiver is implanted in the patient’s skull. A fine wire attaches the receiver to the …show more content…
Through research over recent years, doctors in the area of medicine of otorhinolaryngology have found that the cochlear implant works best for people who have lost their hearing after learning to speak.
Limitations of Technology
The technology has improved over time, but the success of the implant has varied considerably from person to person. Limitations include:
- The cost: needs surgery to place implant in position and tune to different frequencies and this involves costs.
- Post-operative side-effects, such as a droopy face and numbness o the tongue.
- Adjustment by the wearer to a different lifestyle and the sensation if hearing sounds. For example, the functioning of each person’s hearing pathway is different, so each speech processor needs to be programmed to output sounds that suit the wearer’s hearing. The programming takes time to get used to and to adjust. It needs to be adjusted for different situations such as listening to music or watching TV. This can be frustrating for the