Scientists created a ‘bionic nose’ for those who lost their sense of smell

Scientists from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) have developed a technology to restore the lost sense of smell.

The device, which scientists call a ‘bionic nose’, looks like glasses and works much like a cochlear implant (a device for people with hearing impairments).

A special sensor on the glasses detects and identifies the smell, and then transmits a signal to a stimulator implanted in the brain near the olfactory bulb. Thus, the brain essentially receives information about the smell.

According to scientists, the sense of smell can be lost due to certain viruses, brain injury or age-related reasons. Researchers have been trying to solve the problem since the 1980s, but were only able to make progress now.