Background and Identification
A cochlear implant is a small device that can help with providing a sense of sound to someone who may be audibly-impaired or profoundly deaf. A typical cochlear implant consists of the following four components: microphone (to pick up surrounding sound), speech processor (to select and arrange sounds picked up by microphone), transmitter and receiver/stimulator (to receive and convert signals into electric impulses), and an electrode array (to collect impulses from stimulator and sends them to the auditory nerve).
Unlike hearing aids, cochlear implants do not amplify sounds for damaged ears. Instead, cochlear implants bypass the damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Because of this, those who have cochlear implants will need much more time to learn or relearn how to hear.
Source: NIDCD
Image Source: Public Domain Pictures