Cochlear Implants are essentially tools that restore hearing to the deaf. For centuries, it was believed that only a miricle could do such a thing, but now we have modern science and technology to thank.
40 years ago, scientists began researching whether it was possible to restore normal hearing to the deaf by electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve.
Although there was some progress, the results were discouraging as the subjects were finding speech unintelligible.
However, further researh has resulted in the development of a prosthetic device- the cochlear implant.
Now a profoundly deaf person can hear again simply by implanting this device in the inner ear!
The designers of cochlear prostheses are faced with the challenge of developing signal processing techniques that mimic the function of a healthy cochlea.
There are two kinds:
Single-channel implants provide electrical stimulation at a single site in the cochlea using a single electrode, whereas multi-channel implants provide electrical stimulation at multiple sites in the cochlea using an array of electrodes. Single-channel implants are preferable because they are simple, less costly, and more appealing in looks due to their simple design.