It's also thought that smart tattoos could be used temporarily, helping skeptics overcome ingrained reluctance. Some health experts believe smart tattoos will offer a leap in capability compared to wearable devices, which require charging and can expose sensitive health information to hackers.

His own tattoos inspired him to innovate with the premise that body art can be both fashionable and functional. Earlier this year, Bruns received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award with funds to support further development of smart tattoos. 'We are making functional microscopic implants that go in the (skin) and confer some functional or health benefits,' said Carson Bruns, an artist and nanomaterials professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. When exposed to UV light, these marks could focus radiation beams and spare cancer survivors from permanent, visible dots that remind them of their illnesses. Other possible applications for invisible smart tattoos include pinpoint marks for cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment. The idea is to signal when a person has had prolonged sun exposure and needs to apply sunscreen or seek shade, potentially preventing skin cancer. is focused on developing a small, light sensitive tattoo called the 'solar freckle,' an invisible mark that becomes apparent when exposed to certain levels of UV light. “We hope that these innovative technologies will be a general platform in order to utilize diagnostic technologies,” Yetisen told CNN.Īnother research lab in the U.S. To date, the technology has been tested on pigs and will undergo human clinical trials in the coming years. The tattoos change color in response to fluctuations in bodily fluids, and each biosensor delivers continuous feedback on pH levels, sodium and glucose. Yetisen helped develop DermalAbyss, a smart tattoo that trades traditional ink for a substance that contains biosensors. One of the world's leading smart tattoo researchers is Ali Yetisen, a chemical engineer at Imperial College London. For example, a smart tattoo might change color when blood sugar levels reach a certain threshold, reminding people with diabetes to take insulin, or track kidney and liver function or hydration. They've turned to 'functional materials' that can be applied to the skin and will respond to internal and external stimuli. Scientists, engineers and designers are reimagining how tattoos can be used to monitor health. People are eating borax to help reduce inflammation - here's why that's dangerous.White House pushes insurers to improve mental health care access.Why do dieters so often regain weight? Drexel, Penn researchers join national study to find better answers.The popularity of tattoos grew with the emergence of electric devices in the late 19th century, which enabled artists to effectively use needles and ink with precision. Historically, tattoos were applied using various natural materials - soot, charcoal, breast milk and plants - with primitive tools like bones and sticks to puncture the skin. But in the search for increasingly efficient ways to deliver real-time health data, researchers are developing tattoos that use skin as a canvas to display vital signs.īody art is an ancient practice in self-expression and group identification. Wearable devices and smartphone apps have contributed to major breakthroughs in how we monitor health metrics - it's now possible to keep tabs on glucose levels, record sleep patterns and track the heart.

Timeless tattoo health score