What term describes a surgical device that converts sound into electrical signals?

The term that describes a surgical device that converts sound into electrical signals is the cochlear implant. This device is designed specifically for individuals with severe to profound hearing loss who do not benefit adequately from traditional hearing aids.

A cochlear implant bypasses damaged hair cells in the cochlea (the part of the inner ear responsible for converting sound vibrations into neural signals) and directly stimulates the auditory nerve through electrical signals. This allows sound information to be sent to the brain, enabling individuals to perceive sounds.

Hearing aids, while also designed to assist with hearing, work differently. They amplify sound to make it louder but do not convert sound into electrical signals in the same way a cochlear implant does. Binaural hearing aids refer specifically to a type of hearing aid that is used in both ears, providing a more natural sound experience, but they still do not involve surgical implantation or direct stimulation of the auditory nerve. A sound localization device, while it may assist in identifying the direction of sound, does not fulfill the function of converting sound to electrical signals as a cochlear implant does.