A generation ago, restoring hearing in people who were profoundly deaf seemed unrealistic, if not impossible . Today, a growing fraction of the half-million Americans who suffer severe hearing loss are using cochlear implants, a sophisticated and controversial technology that many think is nothing short of a miracle. A cochlear implant is more than a fancy hearing aid.
Cochlear implants pick up sound through a tiny microphone attached near the ear.
The implants send the sounds through a processor and back to a transmitter that delivers the sounds through electrodes, which stimulate the auditory nerve. Scientists are working on producing smaller units that process signals faster, enhanced processing to improve the perception of speech and music, and fully implantable devices, which are expected in three to five years. Unlike hearing aids, implants are covered, at least in part, by most insurance companies. Their use in children has been controversial, and their success somewhat spotty. Generally, Niparko says, the younger the child is when implanted, the easier it is for him or her to learn to understand sounds and to speak.