cochlear implant


noun

a device consisting of microelectrodes that deliver electrical stimuli directly to the auditory nerve when surgically implanted into the cochlea, enabling a person with sensorineural deafness to hear.
Also called artificial ear.

British Dictionary definitions for artificial ear

cochlear implant
/ (ˈkɒklɪə) /

noun

a device that stimulates the acoustic nerve in the inner ear in order to produce some form of hearing in people who are deaf from inner ear disease

Scientific definitions for artificial ear

cochlear implant
[ kŏklē-ər ]

A surgically implanted electronic device that allows people with severe hearing loss to recognize some sounds. It consists chiefly of a microphone and receiver, a processor that converts speech into electronic signals, and an array of electrodes that transmit the signals to the auditory nerve in the inner ear.