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== =What is a Cochlear Implant?= A Cochlear Implant is a 2-piece electronic device that transmits digital decoded information to the auditory nerve through the cochlea. This information sent is then percieved as sound by the auditory nerve and sent to the brain as such. This implantation generally by-passes the damaged part of the ear allowing the person to hear as if there was no (or not nearly as much) damage. The cochlear implant is designed for a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. This implant is not for someone who is deaf due to damage or deformity of the cochlea or the auditory nerve.

One half of this implant is worn on the outside of the skin and can be removed when not in use, such as for sleeping. The external piece can consist of a few microphones to transit sound. The sound is then tranferred through a speece processor, which will filter the sound to prioritize audible speech. From there, the sound is tranferred into digital decoded information, by electromagnetic induction, into the transmitter. This piece is held in place on the head by a magnet on the internal "reciever". The "transmitter" transmits both power to the internal piece and the processed sound signals.
 * External Component**

The second half of this implant is surgically placed under the skin. The larger piece, known as the "reciever," is secured to the mastoid process of the temporal bone. This piece recieves the information from the external piece and transmits the digital decoded information into the "stimulator". The stimulator consists of up to 24 electrodes and is wound through the cochlea. This piece sends information transmits the informations through the scala tympani to the auditory nerve, and then to the brain, where it is percieved as sound.
 * Internal Component﻿**

=The Surgery=

It is important that if one is considering surgery for a newborn child, that the decision is made relatively quickly and the implant is recieved before the child reaches two years of age. Generally, the age of learning to percieve and transmit sound into language and fuctional use is from two to four years. Studies show that if the implant is recieved later than two years, the the child may still struggle with adapting to the sound and percieving it correctly. Cochlear implants are also helpful for adults who are already functioning members of the ﻿hearing community.

The operation usually takes anywhere from two to five hours and is done under a general anesthetic. First a small area bhind the ear is cleaned and shaved. An incision is then made just behind the ear and a hole drilled into the mastoid bone and inner ear where the stimulator is inserted into the cochlea. A "seat" is then carved into the bone to create a resting place for the reciever. This "seat" not only holds, but also protects the reciever from any blunt damage to that side of the head. Once the reciever and stimulator are secured to the skull, the incision is closed with stitches. The procedure is an out-patient procedure and the patient ig generally sent home that day. The stitches dissolve prior to healing and the patient is permitted to go back to school or work within a week or so. However, the implantation should not be activated until two to four weeks after surgery, giving the body enough time to heal properly.

Once the implant is activated, results are not usually immediate. The brain may need time to adapt to new hearing sounds and will require therapy in older children and adults. Infants who recieve the implant before the age of two may adapt to their implant on their own and may be able to speak and understand hearing as with other children their age, in a matter of months. However, in many, it may still take years. Older children and adults will generally require speech therapy and audiological training.



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= =Controversy in the Deaf Community﻿=

Many oppositions to the cochlear implantation surgey are seeded within the Deaf Community. Those in the Deaf Community are insistant on protecting the community and the Deaf heritage. Many members of the Deaf Community view the cochlear implant as something that is being taking away from them, by the hearing. The Deaf Community wants to protect their first or main language, American Sign Language, from becoming extict, and the cochlear implant has the abiltiy to take the future of the Deaf Community away, as now, deaf children can root themselves in the hearing world with these cochlear implants. Another arguement against the cochlear implant is that it is widely being used in deaf infants and children, before those children ever get the chance to know the deaf community and sign language. Therefore, many of those recieving the cochlear implant have the decision made for them. Some Deaf enthusiasts have gone as far as calling the cochlear implants the beginning of a "cultural genocide".

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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 115%;">· <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 115%;">"Normal Hearing." //Cochlear// <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> //Implants//. Web. 9 Mar 2011. [].

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 115%;">· <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 115%;">"Cochlear Implant." //Cochlear// <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> //Implants//. Web. 9 Mar 2011. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> [].

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=<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">WIKISPACE CREATED BY VICTORIA WITZKE =