How does Hearing Work?

Before you can fully understand how cochlear implants work, it’s helpful to first have a basic understanding of how normal hearing works:

1. The outer ear collects sound waves that pass through the air.
2. The sound waves vibrate the eardrum and the three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) in the middle ear.
3. This vibration moves the tiny hairs of the sensory cells in the inner ear or cochlea; sensory cells convert the vibrations to an electrical signal that is sent to the hearing nerve.
4. The signal travels up the nerve and into the brain, where it is interpreted as sound.

When any part of this delicate system is damaged, hearing loss can result. For those with severe to profound hearing loss, AB’s cochlear implant system is designed to restore the rich world of sound and improve the quality of you or your child's life.