image: Figure | Integrated Metasurface-Enabled Photobiomodulation and Neural Simulation Platform. (a) A clinical scenario illustrating a patient wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset guiding wireless THz-band stimulation through a programmable metasurface patch targeting the retina or neural tissues. (b) Schematic representation of a metasurface-mediated bioelectronic interface receiving controlled photonic input to deliver spatially selective stimulation without the need for internal power sources or complex electronics. (c) Biophysical model integrated with metasurface stimulation and cytochrome c activation, enabling dynamic membrane potential modulation and intracellular signaling relevant to therapeutic outcomes such as cancer apoptosis or neuronal rehabilitation.
Credit: Mohammadiaria, M., Srivastava, S.B.
Recent advances have shown that light can be used to activate cells deep inside the body, eliminating the need for wires or invasive devices. This approach holds promise for treating a wide range of conditions, including blindness, hearing loss, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. In a new study, scientists developed engineered “metasurfaces” that act like smart lenses. These surfaces can focus and control light to trigger responses in specific cells. By tuning the light’s direction, intensity, and polarization, the system enables precise, wireless stimulation, opening new doors in bioelectronic medicine and personalized therapies.
These metasurfaces can respond to different types of light, such as circularly polarized beams, and work in the terahertz range for deeper biological effects. Combined with virtual reality and programmable electronics, these technologies could enable personalized, non-invasive medical devices for neural stimulation and rehabilitation, while also offering targeted cell activation or cancer therapy through photobiomodulation This breakthrough lays the foundation for the next generation of bioelectronic implants, from innovative retinal and cochlear prostheses to wireless pacemakers and targeted cancer therapies, allowing doctors to control cellular activity with light alone.
In a new paper published in Light: Science & Applications, a team of scientists led by Dr. Mohammad Mohammadiaria from Italy (Pavia) and Dr. Shashi B. Srivastava from Henry Ford Health, Department of Ophthalmology, USA, presents a novel approach using metasurfaces, tiny light-guiding structures, for wireless cellular stimulation. These devices offer new possibilities for treating blindness, heart conditions, and cancer by delivering light or energy directly to cells, eliminating the need for invasive wires or bulky electronics. The research demonstrates how these engineered surfaces, when combined with artificial intelligence, can develop precise and personalized therapies through real-time sensing and stimulation.
This research shows how smart, light-guiding surfaces, known as metasurfaces, could transform medicine. These tiny antennas can direct energy to cells without the need of wires, helping treat blindness, heart issues, and cancer. Future versions could use artificial intelligence to adjust in real-time based on the body’s signals, offering safer and more personalized care. They may even convert special types of light into sound for new brain therapies. As these materials improve, they will become essential components of medical implants, working in harmony with the body, not against it, to heal and restore function in a smarter, more targeted manner.
Journal
Light Science & Applications
Article Title
Metasurface-assisted bioelectronics: bridging photonic innovation with biomedical implants