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This Wireless Light Device Sends Information Directly to the Brain

In a groundbreaking step for neuroscience and bioelectronics, researchers at Northwestern University have developed a wireless device that can send information directly to the brain using light. This new technology bypasses traditional sensory pathways such as sight, sound, and touch, and instead communicates by shining tiny patterns of light onto neurons inside the brain. For the first time, scientists have shown that the brain can interpret these artificial light patterns as meaningful signals—opening a completely new era of brain–technology communication.

The study, titled “Patterned wireless transcranial optogenetics generates artificial perception,” was published in Nature Neuroscience, one of the world’s leading scientific journals. This research combines advanced engineering, neurobiology, and optogenetics to demonstrate how the brain can learn to understand signals that do not come from the body’s natural senses but from a man-made device.

A New Way to Communicate With the Brain

The human brain constantly receives an enormous amount of information from the body and environment. Light enters the eyes, sound enters the ears, and touch is felt through the skin. These natural sensory signals travel through nerves to the brain, where they are translated into experiences.

But what if we could send information to the brain without using these natural pathways?

The Northwestern team has created a wireless, ultra-thin, flexible device that sits just beneath the scalp but outside the brain. Instead of wires or bulky equipment, it uses precise, patterned flashes of red light to activate groups of neurons through the skull. These neurons have been genetically modified to respond to light, a standard technique in the field of optogenetics.

When the device shines small bursts of red light, specific groups of neurons fire in patterns similar to those created by natural senses. The brain learns to interpret these patterns as meaningful signals—even if they do not come from vision, hearing, touch, or any existing sense.

This discovery shows that the brain is incredibly adaptable and can learn to understand new kinds of signals—something scientists call “artificial perception.”

How the Device Works: Light Instead of Wires

In earlier optogenetic experiments, scientists relied on fiber-optic cables inserted into the brain. These cables limited movement and required external machines. In 2021, the Northwestern team created the first wireless, battery-free micro-LED implant for mice, a major milestone that allowed animals to behave naturally.

The new version is even more advanced.

Instead of using a single LED, the new device uses up to 64 tiny micro-LEDs, each thinner than a strand of human hair. These LEDs can turn on and off in complex patterns, controlled wirelessly and in real time. The device itself is:

  • as thin as a credit card

  • about the size of a postage stamp

  • soft and flexible, so it conforms to the skull

  • fully implanted under the skin, allowing natural movement

  • powered wirelessly, so it needs no battery

The micro-LEDs shine light through the skull onto specific neurons inside the cortex. Red light travels well through bone and tissue, allowing deeper brain stimulation without any invasive probes or cables.

According to bioelectronics pioneer John A. Rogers, who led the engineering effort, the team had to reimagine how to create patterned stimulation in a device that is “both minimally invasive and fully implantable.” The result is a soft, conformable light-delivery system that operates completely beneath the skin while letting researchers control thousands of potential light patterns.

Teaching the Brain to Understand Light Codes

One of the most remarkable discoveries of this study is that animals can learn to understand the light signals produced by the device.

In the experiment, mice were genetically engineered so their cortical neurons would respond to red light. Researchers trained the mice to associate a specific pattern of light with a reward. For example, a certain pulsing light pattern across four brain regions meant the mouse should visit a particular port in a test chamber to receive a treat.

The device then delivered:

  • different light patterns, with varying

    • intensity

    • frequency

    • timing

    • combinations of micro-LEDs

  • real-time light sequences mimicking natural brain activity

The mice quickly learned to recognize the “correct” pattern among many possibilities. When they sensed that particular pattern, they went to the right port, proving that the device had successfully sent a meaningful message directly to their brain.

“They cannot use language to tell us what they sensed,” said first author Mingzheng Wu, “but their behavior clearly shows they received and interpreted the message.”

This shows that the brain can learn to decode completely new forms of input—signals that never pass through the eyes, ears, or skin.

Why This Matters: New Doors for Prosthetics, Therapy, and Brain–Machine Interfaces

The implications of this technology are enormous. By delivering artificial sensory information directly to the brain, this device could transform multiple areas of medicine and technology.

1. Sensory Feedback for Prosthetic Limbs

People who use artificial limbs often struggle because prosthetics do not provide a sense of touch or position. This device could send touch information directly to the brain, giving users a more natural sense of control.

2. Artificial Vision or Hearing for People With Sensory Loss

Future versions could send patterns that simulate visual or auditory signals, helping people who cannot see or hear.

3. Pain Treatment Without Drugs

By activating specific cortical circuits, doctors may be able to reduce chronic pain without opioids or pharmaceuticals.

4. Rehabilitation After Stroke or Injury

Stimulating targeted brain regions could accelerate recovery by helping the brain relearn lost functions.

5. More Advanced Brain–Machine Interfaces

This platform could someday allow people to control robots, computers, or wheelchairs directly with their thoughts—while receiving real-time feedback from the device.

6. Deeper Understanding of Brain Function

For neuroscientists, the device is a powerful tool for studying how the brain interprets signals and creates perception.

Northwestern neurobiologist Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy, who led the experimental research, explained:
“This platform lets us create entirely new signals and see how the brain learns to use them. It brings us closer to restoring lost senses while giving us a window into how perception works at the most fundamental level.”

Replicating Natural Brain Activity

One of the biggest advancements of this new device is its ability to deliver distributed light patterns across many regions at once.

Real sensory experiences, such as seeing a picture or feeling heat, activate networks of neurons spread across the cortex—not just a single small area. By using many micro-LEDs arranged in a programmable array, researchers can mimic these more natural patterns of activity.

The number of possible patterns is extremely large. By adjusting:

  • which LEDs turn on

  • how long they shine

  • how bright they are

  • the timing between each flash

the team can generate thousands of unique signals.

This flexibility makes the technology a perfect tool for exploring how the brain processes complex information.

A Less Invasive Approach: Light Through the Skull

A major technical achievement of this device is that it does not need to enter the brain tissue. Instead, it rests gently on top of the skull, under the skin. Because red light penetrates bone, the micro-LEDs can stimulate neurons without making any holes in the skull.

This approach reduces:

  • surgical risks

  • tissue damage

  • inflammation

  • long-term complications

The soft, flexible structure conforms to the skull’s shape, preventing discomfort or behavioral changes in animals.

According to Kozorovitskiy, red light reaches deep enough through the skull to activate the genetically modified neurons effectively. This makes the device far safer and more practical for long-term use.

Successful Trials: Mice Learn Artificial Signals

During the study, the researchers trained mice to associate a specific light pattern with a reward. When the correct pattern flashed across four cortical regions, the mice knew to visit a particular port.

They were also exposed to dozens of “incorrect” or alternative patterns. Yet the mice could easily identify the one true target pattern, demonstrating:

  • the brain’s learning ability

  • the device’s precision

  • the reliability of artificial signals

After just a few training sessions, the mice consistently went to the correct reward port, proving they understood the artificial signals delivered directly to their brain.

This kind of artificial perception—learning a new sense created by technology—has never been demonstrated in such a minimally invasive way before.

What Comes Next: Toward More Advanced Light-Based Brain Interfaces

The team plans to continue developing the technology with new features, such as:

More LEDs

Increasing the number of micro-LEDs would allow more complex patterns and deeper stimulation.

Higher Resolution Arrays

Narrower spacing between LEDs would let researchers target neurons more precisely.

Larger Coverage

A bigger device could cover more of the cortex to explore multisensory interactions.

Different Wavelengths of Light

Other colors may penetrate deeper into the brain or stimulate different types of neurons.

Human Applications

While the current study was conducted in mice, the long-term goal is adapting this technology for humans who have lost sensory functions, live with chronic pain, or require advanced prosthetics.

This research is a major step toward the future of neurotechnology—where artificial senses may complement or even replace damaged natural ones.

Who Led the Research?

The project brought together experts in neurobiology, materials science, and bioelectronics:

  • Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy
    Irving M. Klotz Professor of Neurobiology, Northwestern University
    Leader of the experimental work on neural stimulation and behavior

  • John A. Rogers
    Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Neurological Surgery
    Director of the Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics
    Leader of the engineering and device development

  • Mingzheng Wu
    Postdoctoral fellow and first author
    Worked jointly in the Kozorovitskiy and Rogers laboratories

This collaboration reflects the growing intersection of biology and engineering—a partnership essential for the next generation of brain-machine interfaces.

A New Frontier: Teaching the Brain a New Language

The most fascinating aspect of this research is its insight into the brain’s flexibility. The brain is not limited to the senses we are born with. It can learn new forms of communication and new sensory languages.

Just as humans learn to read, use sign language, or interpret Braille, the brain can also learn to interpret patterns of light that come from a device instead of the eyes.

This means we may be closer than ever to creating completely new types of perception—synthetic senses designed to help people with disabilities or to augment human abilities.

Conclusion: A Breakthrough That Redefines What Is Possible

Northwestern University’s wireless, light-based device represents a turning point in neuroscience. By proving that the brain can learn to understand patterned light signals delivered directly through the skull, the research opens doors to entirely new therapies and technologies.

From restoring sight and hearing to controlling prosthetics with real sensory feedback, from treating chronic pain without drugs to understanding how the brain builds perception—this innovation has the potential to reshape medicine and human experience.

We are now one step closer to a future where artificial senses blend seamlessly with natural ones, and where technology communicates with the brain in ways once thought impossible.

Reference: Wu, M., Yang, Y., Zhang, J. et al. Patterned wireless transcranial optogenetics generates artificial perception. Nat Neurosci (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-025-02127-6

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