Drawing on research pioneered at Tufts, Anodyne Nanotech is creating patches that could change the future of medicine

Functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, gives researchers a powerful way to study brain activity. But the scans can be incredibly noisy for patients and research subjects, with peak sound levels reaching 120 to 138 decibels—about as loud as a jackhammer.

A new wireless device—lighter than a U.S. dime and shaped like a tiny chef’s hat—can track the brain waves of animals as they move in natural habitats, opening doors to understanding complex behaviors that are impossible to study in the lab.