The thin, flexible, wireless device sits next to a quarter for scale. Device emits complex patterns of light (shown here as an "N") to transmit information directly to the brain. (Mingzheng Wu via SWNS)

By Stephen Beech

A wireless implant that "speaks" to the brain with light could restore lost senses, say scientists.

Around the size of a postage stamp and thinner than a credit card, the soft, flexible device sits under the scalp but on top of the skull.

It uses light to send information directly to the brain - bypassing the body’s natural sensory pathways - in what scientists are hailing at a "leap" for neurobiology and bioelectronics.

The implant delivers precise patterns of light through the bone to activate neurons across the cortex, according to the American research team.

I

See Full Page