(ORDO NEWS) — Scientists have learned how to get the thinnest needles from multi-colored tattoo inks. To apply a pattern, it is enough to apply a patch with such needles to the skin, and they will quickly dissolve inside.
American scientists have created a technology for tattooing cheaply and simply, without pain, blood, risk of infection and other health problems.
Thanks to her, it will be possible to make a tattoo by simply applying a patch with microscopic needles that will quietly inject paint under the skin.
Mark Prausnitz and colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology talk about their development in a new paper published in the journal iScience.
Microneedles themselves are not new to the beauty industry. They are often used to apply cosmetics to the skin.
But tattoos still require fairly large needles, a lot of repetitive jabs, time, effort, and pain. The microneedles developed by Proznitz’s team work in a completely different way.
Not only are they tiny, but they themselves are made from pigment particles coated with a soluble, biocompatible polymer. Each needle forms one “pixel” of the future tattoo.
To obtain needles, a PDMS polymer substrate is used. With the help of a laser, holes are made in it corresponding to the future “pixels” -needles.
These containers are filled with a mixture of pigment and soluble polyacrylate, after which they solidify.
An array of such needles is mounted on a soft substrate, which can only be applied for a few minutes. During this time, the coating will dissolve, releasing the pigment into the skin.
Not everyone likes tattoos, but it can be recalled that sometimes they are used to hide scars and other permanent damage and skin defects, and sometimes to save information about a dangerous chronic disease, such as epilepsy, diabetes, or an allergy to medications.
The painlessness and safety of tattooing with an array of microneedles will allow them to be used as pet tags as well.
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