Olfactory implants: international opinion paper on emerging technologies and clinical applications

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • K L Whitcroft - , Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust (Author)
  • A K Hernandez - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Philippine General Hospital, Asian Hospital and Medical Center (Author)
  • P Andrews - , University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Author)
  • A Altundag - , Biruni Universitesi (Author)
  • H Benkhatar - , Centre Hospitalier de Versailles (Author)
  • M Bensafi - , Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL) (Author)
  • C Boëx - , Geneva University Hospitals (Author)
  • F Calegari - , Chair of Proliferation of Mammalian Neural Stem Cells (Author)
  • D H Coelho - , Virginia Commonwealth University (Author)
  • R M Costanzo - , Virginia Commonwealth University (Author)
  • V Druet - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Author)
  • W Esposito - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Author)
  • A Perez Fornos - , Geneva University Hospitals (Author)
  • S Gane - , University of London (Author)
  • C A Hintschich - , Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich (Author)
  • E H Holbrook - , Harvard Medical School (HMS) (Author)
  • J Hsieh - , Geneva University Hospitals (Author)
  • C Huart - , Université catholique de Louvain (Author)
  • M Kobayashi - , Mie University (Author)
  • I Konstantinidis - , Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Author)
  • S P Lacour - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Author)
  • B N Landis - , Geneva University Hospitals (Author)
  • C S S Lipp - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Author)
  • A Macchi - , University of Insubria (Author)
  • C Mignot - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (Author)
  • E Mori - , The Jikei University School of Medicine (Author)
  • T Myuran - , University of East Anglia (Author)
  • H Nishijima - , The University of Tokyo (Author)
  • Z M Patel - , Stanford Medicine (Author)
  • C Philpott - , University of East Anglia (Author)
  • D Podlesek - , Department of Neurosurgery (Author)
  • W Polanski - , Department of Neurosurgery (Author)
  • R M Richardson - , Harvard Medical School (HMS) (Author)
  • P Rombaux - , Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc (Author)
  • P Senn - , Geneva University Hospitals (Author)
  • R Sipione - , University of Geneva (Author)
  • S Weise - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (Author)
  • T Hummel - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (Author)

Abstract

Olfactory dysfunction affects a large proportion of the general population and causes significant personal and societal burden. At present, there are limited treatment options available. Though as yet experimental and untested in people, olfactory implants are a novel form of neuroprosthesis, modelled on existing implants for other sensory deficits such as hearing loss. Advances in this field have been rapid, yet there have been no unified efforts to collate current knowledge or guide such advances towards maximum patient benefit. In this Opinion Paper, leaders in the field have come together to provide an overview of current and emerging knowledge and technology relating to olfactory implants. In an effort to guide innovation towards maximum patient benefit, we also provide expert agreed statements on theoretical clinical aspects of olfactory implantation, including patient selection, implantation sites and potential complications, as well as post-implantation support requirements. Technical aspects will be discussed, with a clinical, device orientated focus. Finally, the ethics of olfactory implantation will be considered. We hope this document will serve as a useful roadmap to guide future clinical and basic research in the field.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-38
JournalRhinology
Volume63
Issue numberSuppl 35
Early online date14 Jul 2025
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-6711-7359/work/188857554
ORCID /0000-0002-6603-5375/work/188860170
ORCID /0000-0001-7650-1731/work/188860182
ORCID /0000-0001-9713-0183/work/188860349

Keywords