Cochlear implants differ from hearing aids in two important ways:
1. Hearing aids simply amplify sounds. A cochlear implant, on the other hand, transforms speech and other sounds into electrical energy that is used to stimulate the hearing nerve in the inner ear.
2. Unlike most hearing aids, cochlear implants have both internal and external components. The implant system consists of an external speech processor and headset (worn behind the ear) and an internal, surgically implanted receiver/stimulator package with an electrode array
