“Microneedle patch tattoos can also be used to encode information in the skin of animals. Rather than clipping the ear or applying an ear tag to animals to indicate sterilization status, a painless and discreet tattoo can be applied instead,” said researchers. Source: Georgia Tech.
Georgia Institute of Technology has developed what they say is a quick and painless way to tattoo yourself.
Researchers have made a skin patch that contains microscopic needle which they say is cost effective, painless and won’t cause bleeding.
Moreover they say it can be self-administered and used in many different ways including for medical and cosmetic purposes.
“We’ve miniaturized the needle so that it’s painless, but still effectively deposits tattoo ink in the skin,” said Mark Prausnitz, principal investigator.
“This could be a way not only to make medical tattoos more accessible, but also to create new opportunities for cosmetic tattoos because of the ease of administration.”
Usually tattoos require larger needles but developers have made these needles smaller than a grain of sand.
“Because the microneedles are made of tattoo ink, they deposit the ink in the skin very efficiently,” said Georgia Tech postdoctoral fellow Song Li.
“In this way, the microneedles can be pressed into the skin just once and then dissolve, leaving the ink in the skin after a few minutes without bleeding.”
Researchers also described the way in which the needling works.
“[They] start with a mold containing microneedles in a pattern that forms an image. They fill the microneedles in the mold with tattoo ink and add a patch backing for convenient handling.
“The resulting patch is then applied to the skin for a few minutes, during which time the microneedles dissolve and release the tattoo ink.
“Tattoo inks of various colours can be incorporated into the microneedles, including black-light ink that can only be seen when illuminated with ultraviolet light.”
Although this might seem like the end for tattoo artists, scientists say that it’s only their intention to provide an alternative
“The goal isn’t to replace all tattoos, which are often works of beauty created by tattoo artists,” said Prausnitz.
“Our goal is to create new opportunities for patients, pets, and people who want a painless tattoo that can be easily administered.”
