The cochlear implant system consists of two main parts: an external component and an internal component. The external part, worn behind the ear, includes a microphone, a speech processor, and a transmitter. The internal part, surgically implanted, has a receiver-stimulator and an electrode array. Sound is picked up by the microphone, converted into electrical signals by the speech processor, and transmitted to the internal component. The electrodes then stimulate the auditory nerve, sending signals to the brain, which interprets them as sound.
