A cochlear implant is an automated device that partly replaces hearing. It can be an alternative for people who have severe hearing loss from inner-ear damage and who receive limited benefit from hearing aids. The cochlear hearing aid magnifies sound letting it bypass the damaged portions of the ear to produce sound signals to the auditory nerve.

Cochlear implants use a reliable processor that suits the ear. The processor obtains sound signals and carries them to a receiver embedded under the skin at the end of the ear. The receiver transmits the signals to electrodes inserted in the inner ear (cochlea).

The signs stimulate the auditory nerve, which then guides them to the brain. The brain understands those signs as sounds, though these sounds won’t be just like normal hearing. Most people with cochlear implants make considerable gains in understanding speech.