A cochlear implant system consists of two main parts: the external sound processor and the internal surgically implanted electrode array.

• Sound Processor: Captures sound waves and converts them into digital signals. In 2026, these processors utilize Deep Neural Networks (DNN) to filter out background noise in real-time.

• Electrode Array: A thin, flexible wire inserted into the cochlea. It uses electrical pulses to stimulate the auditory nerve fibers, which the brain interprets as sound.