When the hair cells in the cochlea are too damaged to convert sound into electrical signals, cochlear implants can bypass them by directly stimulating the auditory nerve. These implants are ideal for individuals with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss who receive little benefit from traditional hearing aids.

The system includes an external microphone and speech processor, along with a surgically implanted transmitter and electrodes inside the cochlea. Sound is captured, processed, and sent to the brain as electrical impulses, allowing the user to interpret sound and better understand speech.