What does the future hold for cochlear implants?

Although no one can predict the future, we believe in the next year or two, completely implanted cochlear implants will be commercially available. At this time, cochlear implants have external hardware, much like a behind-the-ear hearing aid, and some people would prefer to not have any external hardware for cosmetic and other reasons. However, completely implantable cochlear implants are technically possible, although they may not necessarily be the "universal" best alternative. Issues such as microphone location and sensitivity and battery life will be key issues.