AIIMS had done a cochlear implant of three and a half year old boy two weeks ago.

The device is known as Nucleus 5 which is made in Australia and had the capability of providing hearing aid by processing information in milliseconds and filtering the background noise.

This device will benefit lots of patients who had been suffering from hearing disorders. The total cost of the device is 9.94 lakh which will be provided free at AIIMS for government employees.

Dr Rakesh Kumar, associate professor, ENT, who led the team of surgeons along with Dr Kapil Sikka said that this device is thinner and tougher than earlier models used for cochlear implants. The device facilitates faster hearing and it also assist a person to hear clearly in busy places like markets, railway stations, etc.

After the implant, the device enables the boy to distinguish between telephone ring and music. Dr Kumar, said that this is a huge achievement, that the device is capable of recognizing different frequencies which was not possible in previous devices.

The device is equipped with user friendly remote controlled processor and is water resistant.

Dr Kumar also states that earlier skin used to get eroded due to the heavy weight of the device but the latest device is light in weight and small in size which does not erode the skin and is more convenient to use especially for children who have soft skin.

The boy needs two weeks more to heal his wounds and to switch on his implant. Apart from this, he requires speech therapy for another 3 to 5 years, before he can speak properly.