{"id":9940,"date":"2024-03-10T18:39:34","date_gmt":"2024-03-10T18:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/?p=9940"},"modified":"2024-03-10T18:39:34","modified_gmt":"2024-03-10T18:39:34","slug":"cochlear-implants-tuning-and-technology-advancements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/2024\/03\/10\/cochlear-implants-tuning-and-technology-advancements\/","title":{"rendered":"Cochlear Implants: Tuning and Technology Advancements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hearing is a sense that I, and likely many others worldwide, take for granted. That said, around 1 in every 6 adults in the UK<\/a> live with at least partial hearing loss. The technology behind cochlear implants piqued my interest after listening to the insights from users in the lecture, leading me to begin reading parts of Dr Yoder\u2019s cochlear implant journey<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Cochlear Implant?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cochlear implants are made up of both internal and external parts and require a relatively short surgery to fit. The external parts are made up of a microphone to pick up the sound waves, a language processor to convert the sound waves into electrical signals, and a transmitter to transfer these to the internal components. The language processor and microphone usually rest on the ear, while the transmitter is placed further back on the head. The transmitter is held on via a magnet fitted under the skin during surgery. This allows for the previously converted electrical signals to reach the string of electrodes inserted into the cochlear, which stimulates the auditory nerve directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cochlear implants aid the users’ hearing through a string of electrodes inserted into the cochlea. https:\/\/brsh.org\/cochlear-implants\/<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tuning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One aspect of cochlear implants that I found fascinating was tuning and the period over which it takes place; initial tuning usually takes place one month after the surgery, with periodic sessions after this to slowly ease users into the new sounds. This initially shocked me; \u201cWhy does this process take so long?\u201d, I found myself thinking. However, after reading Dr Yoder\u2019s experience<\/a> with tuning as well as others (seen in the video below), I realised that hearing is not restored with the surgery, but with the practice users do to re-understand how everyday noises and speech sounds. The video below by Cochlear Americas<\/a> documents four users and their experiences with training themselves to understand how to hear through their new implants, which I found very insightful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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