A New Device Restores Smells to Memory... Even Without the Sense of Smell

SadaNews - A team of international researchers has developed an innovative experimental device that helps people who have lost their sense of smell to regain the ability to sense odors once again.

Researchers, led by Claude Bernard University in Lyon, France, in collaboration with researchers from Germany and Greece, explained that the device does not rely on traditional smelling but instead transforms scents into a tangible sensation within the nose that the brain can learn to associate with a specific odor. The results were published on Thursday in the journal "Science Advances."

Loss of smell, or "anosmia," is a common condition affecting about 20% of the world's population and can result from infections, trauma, or certain medications.

Unlike hearing or vision problems that have technical solutions such as cochlear implants or prosthetics, there are currently no devices that restore the sense of smell. The team asserts that this innovation could be the first step towards a long-awaited solution.

Regarding the mechanism of the device, the study revealed that the system relies on two main components: an "electronic nose" that captures the chemical molecules of odors and converts them into a digital code, and an electrical stimulator inside the nose, which is a small magnetic clip that is fixed to the nasal septum and stimulates the trigeminal nerve.

When the electronic nose detects a particular smell, it sends the digital code to the stimulator, which emits an electrical pulse interpreted by the person as a specific sensation within the nose, which could be tingling or a specific touch.

Over time, the brain learns to associate each sensation with the corresponding code for a specific odor, allowing the patient to distinguish scents through an alternative sensation, without direct smelling.

The researchers tested the device on 65 participants, including 13 individuals with normal sense of smell and 52 suffering from loss of smell.

All participants were able to detect the existence of odors through electrical signals, and most were able to distinguish between two different smells through the encoded signals.

The effectiveness of the device was equal among healthy individuals and those with loss of smell, indicating that the trigeminal nerve, responsible for the sensations of touch and temperature in the nose, forms a reliable channel for transmitting alternative information about smells.

The trigeminal nerve, which conveys sensations of touch and temperature in the nose, acts as an alternative pathway carrying signals that the brain translates into a sensation similar to perceiving odors.

Although the project is still in its early stages, researchers plan to expand the number of odors that the device can distinguish and to transform the current lab model into a small, wearable device for daily use.

The team emphasizes that this innovation could represent a revolutionary step for patients with loss of smell, also highlighting the brain's ability to relearn and adapt to alternative senses, providing the first practical path towards restoring one of the most complex and important senses in human life.