Now, a team from UNSW School of Biomedical Engineering has developed a fully flexible “optrode”—an optical sensor that converts the body’s electrical signals directly into light signals. Designed to mimic the softness of human tissue, the device demonstrated a 98.4% viability rate, paving the way for safer and less invasive long-term monitoring technologies.

The research team, which published its latest findings in npj Flexible Electronics, says the new sensor, which has only been tested on animals so far, could transform how the human body is mapped by delivering clearer and more precise insights into electrical activity.