Introduction
I know that the whole world (including my entire Twitter home page) is currently consumed by the potential possibilities that ChatGPT can offer, but I decided to take a quick break from that and talk about something that could be as, or even more, monumental: Color-changing Medical Tattoos. I know, you’re probably thinking, “What is that?”, “Isn’t that just a colored tattoo?”. Honestly, I thought the same, I had absolutely no idea what this innovation was until I researched it a bit further.
According to the CDC, “More than 37 million Americans have diabetes (about 1 in 10)”. Additionally, according to MIT, “diabetics need to monitor their glucose levels…3 to 10 times per day”. Although this may not directly affect you or a close family member, most Americans can think of someone they know (either a distant family member, friend, or even a teacher) that has been affected by this chronic disease. Personally, I have a very close friend that has type one diabetes, and with this, she always has to be on the lookout for her insulin levels. My friend also has to carry her medical devices around, make sure her phone is always charged to connect to her pump and replace her patch every few days. With school and work, she often complains that keeping up with all the necessary precautions can be difficult. However, her life, and the medical industry as a whole, might change completely with the invention of color-changing medical tattoos.
Sooo… What is it? How does it work?
Color-changing medical tattoos are tattoos that use color-changing ink with biosensors to indicate when there has been a change to the body. Currently, the innovation has been directed toward detecting changes in blood sugar and sodium levels. For example, if my friends’ blood sugar drops, her tattoo would automatically change colors to warn her that she needs a pump of insulin.
What’s even better? To apply the tattoo, a needle isn’t even needed. The tattoo is applied like a temporary tattoo; it’s just dabbed directly onto where the user wants it. I’m going to spare you all of the scientific details, but basically, the biosensor on the tattoo has two electrodes that make the blood sugar rise to the surface, therefore letting it be measured (AZO Sensors). Furthermore, the tattoo can work to detect pH levels and albumin.
This invention first started as a project named DermalAbyss between Harvard Medical School and MIT researchers. The tattoos use “advances in biotechnology with traditional methods in tattoo artistry” (MIT). Having a tattoo is already cool, but one that tells you the status of your health? Even cooler! Plus, it saves people diagnosed with Diabetes the constant pricking.
Attached below is a picture from the ScienceAlert website that demonstrates how the colors would change in response to a change in the body. Furthermore, another picture depicting how an actual color-changing medical tattoo would look is attached
Below is a quick video from Futurism depicting how the tattoo would work, (caution: it’s scientific-y):
What about the downfalls?
I know exactly what you’re thinking. Yes, this invention does sound cool and potentially game-changing, but there are still some downfalls. In “The Technology Fallacy RTM” article we read, the author pointed out that people are usually quick to adopt new technologies, but the regulators are the ones that take a while. This makes sense, especially in the health/medical industry, where new technologies are viewed skeptically and with a close eye. Of course, nothing can replace doctors and well-researched medical devices (as of right now), but with further research and development, the color-changing tattoo could disrupt the medical industry as we know it.
The Future
In “The Technology Fallacy RTM” article, the author states that businesses need to think big, not just the next step, but 10-20 years in the future. How will they make an impact? How will they create something that not only creates value for their company but their users as well? As Jenna Steichen said in her guest speaker lecture last week, one of the sectors that her venture capital company looks into is the health industry. Yes, the color-changing medical tattoos might currently only be aimed at users with high or low blood sugar and sodium, but scientists and MIT researchers are looking for ways that these tattoos could eventually be used for overall daily health.
As Forbes states in their “16 Game-Changing Technologies You Might Not Know About Yet” article, “[color-changing medical tattoos] are a huge game-changer for people with ailments that require constant monitoring.” This tiny, yet powerful, innovation could potentially change the lives of many by making it easier to handle chronic diseases. Furthermore, this could foster a healthier lifestyle for users as it will be more convenient than carrying many devices.
Just imagine waking up in the morning and your tattoo informing you of a fever. Or, on the other hand, the tattoo can save you the hassle of setting up and going to a doctor’s appointment by showing you that your health is perfectly fine. I know I may be out of reach here, but hey, anything’s possible these days.
I hope you all enjoyed my first blog,
Liah Fland
(P.S. I’m attaching my Twitter below for those of you that haven’t followed)
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