How Do Cochlear Implants Work?

When hearing aids aren't enough, some turn to cochlear implants to help with hearing loss – here's how they work.

Read More

Cochlear Implants
"A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing."

Deaf Jam: Experiencing Music Through A Cochlear Implant
"Even with technical improvements, the experience of hearing the world through a cochlear implant will still be different."

‘A Quiet Place’ Falls Into A Tired Trope About Deafness
"After I came down from the high of seeing beautiful ASL fly across the big screen again, I realized that some moments in the film troubled me."

____________________

Elements is more than just a science show. It’s your science-loving best friend, tasked with keeping you updated and interested on all the compelling, innovative and groundbreaking science happening all around us. Join our passionate hosts as they help break down and present fascinating science, from quarks to quantum theory and beyond.

Seeker explains every aspect of our world through a lens of science, inspiring a new generation of curious minds who want to know how today’s discoveries in science, math, engineering and technology are impacting our lives, and shaping our future. Our stories parse meaning from the noise in a world of rapidly changing information.

Visit the Seeker website

Special thanks to Julian Huguet for hosting and writing this episode of Seeker!

[emprendeperez]

My grandmother is the oldest person that had the operation, with 98, and now she has 99. She loves it.

[CuriosityCulture]

I'm blown away how much we know about technology and how it helps people's health.

[Spock]

My son is a bilateral implanted child, he was born deaf, and now when you speak with him you cannot even tell the difference. A true miracle of science.

[kateramsey]

As a parent of a child who has had a cochlear implant since he was 4, this is my favorite video to share with people to explain how a cochlear implant works. I just sent it to his teacher. Thank you!

[missymooisablu]

@seeker Just an FYI in the video they got the base and the apex of the cochlea switched around in the animation. The base is closest to the bones and the apex is the furthest away 0:40

[kevinmoore]

As a Coda (child of deaf adults), I appreciate this video. It gives a very clear, and science based understanding of cochlear implants. This has always been a question of mine though, if we can augment hearing, can we also augment other senses?

[bobbinsnest]

Your basic cochlear physiology is incorrect. The oval window is where we detect high frequency sounds and the apex is located in the centre of the cochlear and detects the low frequency sounds. You could have spent '5 seconds' to fact check this before incorrectly educating everyone.

[KarlFFF]

Hollywood - the place where a 5 second web-search is below every ones pay-grade 2:58 :(

[sarahsparks]

Not sure if you're aware, but you have the base and apex of the cochlea reversed. The apex (low frequencies) is the more coiled part, and the base (high frequencies) is the less coiled part.

[catm]

I have a friend who has a cochlear. She has a lot of struggles because of how people can be around her if they don't understand how it works. I have to explain to people that she can hear with it in but the sound kind of bounces weirdly and they usually have to tune it. That facing her when speaking is important so she can also lip read.
Her speech is affected and when she takes the cochlear off she can't hear anything whatsoever. When she was homeless and staying on my couch, I would spook her when she had it out because she couldn't hear me coming into the room. She's one of my close friends and I'm glad she has the cochlear.

[Lawlsworth]

Short answer: the implant replaces the malfunctioning hairs in the ear's cochlea with electrodes that trigger the brain with signals to let the person "hear"

[amun-xoltol]

thank-you to all of the animals who sacrificed for this advancement. hopefully every human who accepts technology gives thanks to those who made it possible

[lachlanmead]

i was born completely deaf and got operation when i was two months old and glad i live in a world where there is cochlear implant for people like me hear

[zinsy]

As a severe to profound hard of hearing person using hearing aids, I think this is very fascinating. This will probably be the solution to when I can't use my hearing aids anymore! Good to know how it works!

[Ratelzwatel]

2:04 "in a world of complete silence".
Being deaf is not the same as hearing silence.
For example, tinnitus can make deafness sound very noisy.

[Master_Therion]

I'm not hard of hearing, but is there a device like this that'll make my ears perk up when someone is talking about me. There's a lot of gossip at work. I want an implant to make my ears more perky.

[nothisispatrick]

Short answer: "It just works"

[noobmaster]

I have three cousins with cochlear implants and they're pretty funny! I learn some sign language from them!

[coobcakes]

I watched A Quiet Place with my brother (who has a cochlear implant lol) and we kept referring to it as a "hearing aid" the whole time. We never noticed it was supposed to be an implant, although I guess the magnet piece should have been the giveaway. I assumed it was an in-between fusion.
My brother had a hearing aid when he was younger and used to make it whistle for fun so we recognized the high-pitched buzzing in the movie, but we didn't even talk about how a cochlear implant wouldn't produce that sound. Bizarre. 😅

[eternalmiasma]

A quiet place was pretty awesome, good job to Millicent Simons for her acting both as a child actress and a deaf actress.