How is it different from a hearing aid?

Hearing aids and other similar devices are amplifiers. They are designed to make sounds louder or clearer so that hearing impaired people receive more sounds. Many people are deaf because their inner ears have been damaged by trauma, disease, or some other condition which causes a sudden or progressive hearing loss. Simply providing amplified sound through a hearing aid may not provide much benefit for individuals whose hearing loss is profound to local. A cochlear implant bypasses some of the damaged parts of the inner ear and can provide useful hearing for individuals who do not benefit from traditional hearing aids.