Monolithic silicon for high spatiotemporal translational photostimulation. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38383782/)

These scientists wanted to find a new way to stimulate the heart using light instead of electricity. They created special devices made of silicon that can be placed in the heart without the need for wires. These devices can be controlled with light to stimulate different parts of the heart at different times.

They tested these devices on cells in a lab, isolated rat hearts, and live rat and mouse hearts. They were even able to stimulate a pig's heart using this new method. The scientists believe that this new technology could be used in the future to help people with heart problems by acting as a pacemaker.

They also developed a special tool that can be used to deliver the light stimulation to the heart in a minimally invasive way. This means that the new technology could potentially be used in medical procedures without the need for major surgery.

Li P., Zhang J., Hayashi H., Yue J., Li W., Yang C., Sun C., Shi J., Huberman-Shlaes J., Hibino N., Tian B. Monolithic silicon for high spatiotemporal translational photostimulation. Nature. 2024 Feb 21. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07016-9.