A cochlear implant system includes several pieces of technology that work together to bypass the cochlea—restoring hearing by sending sound directly to the hearing nerve. The first is an internal component (the implant and electrode array) which is implanted by a surgeon. And the second is a series of external components that is worn on the ear and attaches to the implant (the headpiece and processor).
Cochlear implant technology has advanced significantly in the past 30+ years.