Smart Tattoo- Brogan Adams

Smart Tattoo- Monitoring Health

Recently, researchers from Harvard and MIT developed a tattoo that is targeted towards athletes. This specific tattoo regulates the systems changing colors when the athlete becomes dehydrated.  It can also be used by diabetics to monitor their blood sugar levels. The Ink changes colors according to the chemistry of the "interstitial fluid" and the blood within the body. So far developers have created the ability to change from green to brown as glucose concentration increases. They have also developed a green ink viewable under green light that became more intense as sodium concentrates rise, a telltale of dehydration.  Testing for this product has been done onto segments of pig skin and noted how they change color or intensity.

Still being designed, the goals for this product are very broad. They will be able yo create long lasting tattoos for reoccurring problems or they could make short term problems that originally disappear be monitored easily. There is even potential to invisible ink tattoos that are only visible under certain light.  This could be potentially monumental for the health world as we know it, eliminating technology and incorporating "wearable" alternatives.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/09/harvard-researchers-help-develop-smart-tattoos/, Website with picture and video.