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Cochlear Implant Rehabilitation Clinic
'We help you hear and speak better.'
Cochlear Implants
Hearing impairment is considered to be one of the most severe forms of handicap, as it affects a person's ability to express themselves to their enviornment. Hearing aids have helped individuals with hearing impairment but it has its own limitations, specially when the degree of hearing loss is greater than severe degree. A cochlear implant has become a boon for those with greater than severe degree hearing loss.
A cochlear implant is an electronic device designed to help servely to profoundly hearing impaired indiviuduals who gain little or no benefit from hearing aids. Cochlear implant system converts everyday sounds into coded electrical impulses. These electrical pulses stimulates the hearing nerves, and the brain interprets them as sounds. The cochlear implants are effective in both children and adults, whether they are born with hearing impairment or hearing loss occurs later in life.
A cochlear implant system consists of two main parts:
Hearing impairment is considered to be one of the most severe forms of handicap, as it affects a person's ability to express themselves to their enviornment. Hearing aids have helped individuals with hearing impairment but it has its own limitations, specially when the degree of hearing loss is greater than severe degree. A cochlear implant has become a boon for those with greater than severe degree hearing loss.
A cochlear implant is an electronic device designed to help servely to profoundly hearing impaired indiviuduals who gain little or no benefit from hearing aids. Cochlear implant system converts everyday sounds into coded electrical impulses. These electrical pulses stimulates the hearing nerves, and the brain interprets them as sounds. The cochlear implants are effective in both children and adults, whether they are born with hearing impairment or hearing loss occurs later in life.
A cochlear implant system consists of two main parts:
EXTERNAL
Speech Processor (worn behind the ear)
Contains the microphone, and the electronics that process sound.
Cable and Transimitting Coil
Battery Pack
Speech Processor (worn behind the ear)
Contains the microphone, and the electronics that process sound.
Cable and Transimitting Coil
Battery Pack
INTERNAL
Implant (surgically placed under the skin)
Consists of an electronics housing and the electrode array
Implant (surgically placed under the skin)
Consists of an electronics housing and the electrode array
How A Cochlear Implant Helps to Restore Hearing
For people with normal hearing, the ear processes sound effortlessly. Sound is conducted into the ear canal, and vibrates the eardrum. The eardrum is attached to the three small bones of hearing (ossicles) in the middle ear, which transmit the vibrations on to the inner ear (cochlea). The cochlea is the spiral-shaped organ that contains tiny hair cells that turn sound vibration into bioelectrical signals that are sent along the hearing nerve to the brain. These hair cells are arranged according to pitch, just like the keys on a piano keyboard. When the signals reach the brain, we hear.
For individuals with significant sensorineural hearing loss, sometimes called “nerve hearing loss,” hearing is no longer effortless. Hearing aids can make sound louder, but for many people, this is just not enough to allow them to continue to function easily in a hearing world.
A cochlear implant can help these individuals by replacing and mimicking the functions of the outer, middle and inner ear.
For people with normal hearing, the ear processes sound effortlessly. Sound is conducted into the ear canal, and vibrates the eardrum. The eardrum is attached to the three small bones of hearing (ossicles) in the middle ear, which transmit the vibrations on to the inner ear (cochlea). The cochlea is the spiral-shaped organ that contains tiny hair cells that turn sound vibration into bioelectrical signals that are sent along the hearing nerve to the brain. These hair cells are arranged according to pitch, just like the keys on a piano keyboard. When the signals reach the brain, we hear.
For individuals with significant sensorineural hearing loss, sometimes called “nerve hearing loss,” hearing is no longer effortless. Hearing aids can make sound louder, but for many people, this is just not enough to allow them to continue to function easily in a hearing world.
A cochlear implant can help these individuals by replacing and mimicking the functions of the outer, middle and inner ear.
How a Cochlear Implant Works
1. Sound is picked up by the microphone of the speech
processor.
2. The speech processor analyzes and converts sounds
into a special code.
3. This code is sent to the coil and transmitted across
the skin.
4. The implant interprets the code and sends electrical
pulses to the electrodes in the cochlea.
5. The auditory nerve picks up this signal and sends it
to the auditory center in the brain. The brain
recognizes these signals as sound.
1. Sound is picked up by the microphone of the speech
processor.
2. The speech processor analyzes and converts sounds
into a special code.
3. This code is sent to the coil and transmitted across
the skin.
4. The implant interprets the code and sends electrical
pulses to the electrodes in the cochlea.
5. The auditory nerve picks up this signal and sends it
to the auditory center in the brain. The brain
recognizes these signals as sound.
Benefits of a Cochlear Implant
Cochlear implants enhance auditory information, including speech, environmental sounds and music. Current studies indicate successful speech understanding for the majority of cochlear implant users.
Hearing Everyday Sounds
Nearly all cochlear implant users hear environmental sounds, keeping them in touch with their surroundings – including traffic, sirens, alarms, etc
Hearing Speech
The majority of cochlear implant users hear speech sounds. With time and an effective follow-up program, they learn to understand these sounds. Many cochlear implant users understand speech without speechreading.
Improving Speech Skills
Hearing speech sounds helps refine a cochlear implant user’s own speech skills.
Phone Use
Many cochlear implant users effectively use standard and cell phones.
Factors Affecting Benefit
Maximum benefit from a cochlear implant depends on a variety of factors, including age, duration of hearing loss, status of the cochlea, and other medical and personal issues.
General Candidacy Criteria
For children, a profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears.
For adults, a severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears.
Age 12 months and older.
Receive little or no benefit from hearing aids.
No medical contraindications.
High motivation and appropriate expectations.
Access to education and rehabilitation follow-up.
General information on What to expect?
Assessment
In order to determine candidacy for a cochlear implant, your child will undergo a number of routine assessments prior to implantation. These tests allow the cochlear implant team to check for any additional factors or needs. Assessment will also allow professionals to adequately brief parents in order to help them to know what to expect. These assessments often include medical, audiological (hearing) and radiological (X-ray) evaluations.
Surgery
The surgical procedure usually takes between one and three hours and is done under general anesthesia. The risks involved in cochlear implant surgery are low and are comparable to other ear surgeries. Children are usually "up and about" the next day. The hospital stay can vary from one to several days depending on your child's individual needs and what is typical in your area.
First Fitting
About four weeks after implantation, your child will receive his or her audio processor. The audio processor is programmed, or “fitted,” for each child individually by an audiologist or other professional. This program contains settings for pitch, loudness and timing. Setting up an ideal program for your child for the first time often requires repeated fitting sessions in order to gradually fine-tune the settings.
Follow-up Program
While cochlear implants provide a remarkable opportunity for children with hearing loss, sounds can be confusing and overwhelming at first. Regular communication training with a speech-language professional is an essential element in learning how to understand sounds and in developing listening and speech skills.
For very young children, auditory therapy may initially involve parent-directed therapy activities to help your child detect and recognize sounds. For older children, auditory therapy may focus on helping the child to recognize the new, more detailed way that things sound as opposed to the limited sounds they knew with hearing aids.
Cochlear implants enhance auditory information, including speech, environmental sounds and music. Current studies indicate successful speech understanding for the majority of cochlear implant users.
Hearing Everyday Sounds
Nearly all cochlear implant users hear environmental sounds, keeping them in touch with their surroundings – including traffic, sirens, alarms, etc
Hearing Speech
The majority of cochlear implant users hear speech sounds. With time and an effective follow-up program, they learn to understand these sounds. Many cochlear implant users understand speech without speechreading.
Improving Speech Skills
Hearing speech sounds helps refine a cochlear implant user’s own speech skills.
Phone Use
Many cochlear implant users effectively use standard and cell phones.
Factors Affecting Benefit
Maximum benefit from a cochlear implant depends on a variety of factors, including age, duration of hearing loss, status of the cochlea, and other medical and personal issues.
General Candidacy Criteria
For children, a profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears.
For adults, a severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears.
Age 12 months and older.
Receive little or no benefit from hearing aids.
No medical contraindications.
High motivation and appropriate expectations.
Access to education and rehabilitation follow-up.
General information on What to expect?
Assessment
In order to determine candidacy for a cochlear implant, your child will undergo a number of routine assessments prior to implantation. These tests allow the cochlear implant team to check for any additional factors or needs. Assessment will also allow professionals to adequately brief parents in order to help them to know what to expect. These assessments often include medical, audiological (hearing) and radiological (X-ray) evaluations.
Surgery
The surgical procedure usually takes between one and three hours and is done under general anesthesia. The risks involved in cochlear implant surgery are low and are comparable to other ear surgeries. Children are usually "up and about" the next day. The hospital stay can vary from one to several days depending on your child's individual needs and what is typical in your area.
First Fitting
About four weeks after implantation, your child will receive his or her audio processor. The audio processor is programmed, or “fitted,” for each child individually by an audiologist or other professional. This program contains settings for pitch, loudness and timing. Setting up an ideal program for your child for the first time often requires repeated fitting sessions in order to gradually fine-tune the settings.
Follow-up Program
While cochlear implants provide a remarkable opportunity for children with hearing loss, sounds can be confusing and overwhelming at first. Regular communication training with a speech-language professional is an essential element in learning how to understand sounds and in developing listening and speech skills.
For very young children, auditory therapy may initially involve parent-directed therapy activities to help your child detect and recognize sounds. For older children, auditory therapy may focus on helping the child to recognize the new, more detailed way that things sound as opposed to the limited sounds they knew with hearing aids.
Read more on cochlear implants: advantages of early cochlear implantation, bilateral implantation, conditions limiting cochlear implant success.
