Methods to preserve hearing cells. Most of us interpret sound through a concert of components. Song lyrics travel through the ear canal and vibrate the ear drum. The cochlea contains sensory cells that have hair-like projections which move to the vibrations. This movement converts the fluid movement of the cochlea into electrical energy signals which are sent via the auditory nerve to the brain for interpretation.
Implants artificially create the sound signals.
A small headpiece tucked behind the ear with a microphone picks up sound and sends it to a processor that is hidden behind clothing. The processor, the size of a deck of cards, replaces the cochlea and accompanying cells by filtering, analyzing, and digitizing the sound into coded signals. The signals are sent through the skin to the implanted receiver, which triggers specific electrodes to send electrical waves, representing sound, via the auditory nerve to the brain for interpretation. The results range from sound cues that enhance lip-reading to a select few who experience comprehension suitable for a telephone conversation. The details of how the device creates these benefits are under scrutiny.