Essay on How Is Cochlear Implant Technology Changing To Help The Hearing Of Deaf People

Submitted By 16gattico
Words: 2425
Pages: 10
Open Document
Introduction
How is cochlear implant technology changing to help the hearing of deaf people? The cochlear implant is a small device that can bring hearing to a person who is profoundly deaf or is hard of hearing. “A cochlear implant is an electronic medical device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear. Unlike hearing aids, which make sounds louder, cochlear implants bypass the damaged hair cells of the inner ear (cochlea) to provide sound signals to the brain.” (Cochlear) The cochlear implant was invented in 1961 by Dr. William F. House, but it was not successful until 1969. Over the years, technology changed to create the current cochlear implant. The current cochlear implant is a small hearing aid like device that consists of a microphone, speech processor, transmitter, receiver, and an electrode array. The cochlear implant works by passing through the damaged parts of the ear and stimulate sounds through the auditory nerve. Doctors are currently working on building a completely internal cochlear implant. The device would be a small and simple microphone implanted into the ear. “U.S. researchers are developing a tiny middle ear "microphone" that could remove the need for any external components on cochlear implants.” (Gizmag Team) This paper will talk about the results that were found researching about how cochlear implant technology has changed, and is changing, to create the past, present, and future version of the cochlear implant.
Results
The results I found in my research on how cochlear implant technology has changed to help the hearing in deaf people were very good. The cochlear implant was created in 1961 when Dr. House started working on the device after he had heard about research being done about the auditory nerve. He wanted to create a device that would stimulate sound through the auditory nerve in deaf or hard of hearing patients. His first device was a large and complex device. It was very similar to the current versions of the cochlear implant, but much larger. The implantation was a small, paper thin magnet that had the receiver and an artificial nerve connected to it. This artificial nerve is what connected to the auditory nerve to stimulate sound. This implant was in between the skin and the skull right above the ear. A surgical process is required to insert the implant. People also had to relearn how to hear because they either had never heard anything before, their body was not used to the new device, or it had been so long since they heard something. “Use of a cochlear implant requires both a surgical procedure and significant therapy to learn or relearn the sense of hearing. Not everyone performs at the same level with this device. The decision to receive an implant should involve discussions with medical specialists, including an experienced cochlear-implant surgeon.”(NICID) The magnet connected the microphone and the transmitter to the head so it could receive sound to be stimulated through the artificial nerve that is connected to the auditory nerve. The microphone was connected to a long wire that ran down to small box that powered the cochlear implant. The cochlear implant was powered by a small battery that was rechargeable. Dr. House’s original design in 1961 was rejected by the first recipient’s body, but it later became successful for a long time in 1969. “Dr. House’s cochlear implant electronically translated sound into mechanical vibrations. His initial device, implanted in 1961, was eventually rejected by the body. But after refining its materials, he created a long-lasting version and implanted it in 1969.” (The New York Times) Three years later, Dr. House’s 3M single-electrode cochlear implant was the first to go on the market and it became popular in the years to come. “In 1972, a speech processor was developed to interface with the House 3M single-electrode implant and was the first to be commercially marketed. More than 1,000 of these devices were implanted between
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on How Is Cochlear Implant Technology Changing To Help The Hearing Of Deaf People

Essay about Deaf Culture

Cochlear implantation is controversial in the Deaf community. What do you know about cochlear implantation and why do you think so many proponents of Deaf Culture are opposed to this technology? Before I began to research cochlear implants, my knowledge about them was very basic. I knew they were surgical implants used to provide deaf people with the opportunity to hear sounds. I was also aware that there are internal and external portions used in collaboration to aid an individual to hear…

Words 2545 - Pages 11

Essay about American Sign language

the deaf culture? Deafhood is a term that loosely means a Deaf person finding and understanding their Deaf culture. This is not a static term and it usually refers to a process by which a Deaf person must go through in order to discover themselves and their roles in the Deaf community. Deafhood is a word that was coined by the author of Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood, by Paddy Ladd. With regards to deafness, the people of the past felt lost or upset with being deaf. The…

Words 2843 - Pages 12

History Of Deaf Eyes

Introduction THROUGH DEAF EYES explores nearly 200 years of Deaf life in the United States. The film presents shared experiences of family life, education, work, and community connections from the perspective of deaf individuals. It is a window on a world that many people do not know exists - with fascinating history, memorable characters, and thoughtprovoking issues. The core of the film is the larger history of deaf life in the United States, a story of conflicts, prejudice, and affirmation that…

Words 3205 - Pages 13

Essay about Spells Stuff

53: Are hard-of-hearing people part of the Deaf community? Reflecting on the previous chapter 53 that asked, “What’s the difference between “hard-of-hearing” and “deaf”? Hard-of-hearing people and all non deaf was allowed to be in the deaf community. However, after reading this chapter I realize that the deaf community never ends, there is always something that sets another person apart from others. This chapter states that hard-of-hearing people can be a part of the deaf community, but their…

Words 1523 - Pages 7

Essay on Educational Philosophy

with. Eclecticism fits exactly what I believe. No philosophy fits every learning strategy in every situation or all students. I think that behaviorism and constructivism are huge parts of the way humans learn. People learn from their experiences and by observing experiences of other people. Students should be doing activities that put them in real life situations so they can use prior knowledge to build from. If someone touches a hot burner on the stove they will burn their hand. They received a…

Words 610 - Pages 3

Bio communication exam notes Essay

Communication (25 marks) (a) (i) Outline the function of the iris in the human eye. A clear, bi-convex disc that focuses light onto the retina (ii) Explain how humans achieve depth perception. When eyes face forward, each eye sees an image o an object in the light path The two images are fused into one image in the cerebral cortex of the brain. This fusion into one image is related to the perception of depth…

Words 7752 - Pages 32