Before and after exposing a ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä logo on pig skin.Humans have been using the same tattooing technologies for thousands of years. It's time for an upgrade.ÌýTheÌýLaboratory for Emergent Nanomaterials is re-thinking the tattoo pigment as a way to permanently embed new technologies in the skin. These researchers have been formulating tattoo inks that conduct electricity and change color in response to different stimuli. These "tech tattoos" could power biomedical devices and wearable technologies, monitor and diagnose health issues, and augment human sensing and self-expression.

In this project, the researchers developed a tattoo ink made of photochromic microcapsules; a few seconds of tattooing this ink into skin leaves a color-changing mark that is activated by UV light. These tattoos turn blue in sunshine (or another source of UV light) but disappear when sunscreen is applied, or in indoor lighting. This intradermal tattoo lasts for up to six months and offers a new way to monitor UV exposure for skin cancer prevention.

Laboratory for Emergent Nanomaterials

Ìý

Publications

  • JL Butterfield, SP Keyser, KV Dikshit, H Kwon, MI Koster, CJ Bruns. . ACS Nano 2020, 14, 13619–13628.

Ìý

Associated Researchers

Carson Bruns
Carson Bruns
Assistant Professor • Laboratory for Emergent Nanomaterials • CREATIVE MOLE¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉäLAR NANOTECH • MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
jesse butterfield
Jesse Butterfield
PhD Mech. Eng.'22
Mechanical Engineering
Kiley Hartigan
Kiley Hartigan
Lab Assistant
ATLAS Institute
Jennifer Quigley
Jennifer Quigley
Undergraduate Student
Chemical Engineering

In the news

Photo of tattoos person in lab coat with stethoscope
Dynamic tattoos promise to warn wearers of health threats

Sept. 24, 2020

ATLAS Assistant Professor Carson Bruns discusses how nanotechnology can give tattoos biomedical applications. He discusses recently-published research on tattoos that alert an individual when their skin needs protection by employing ink that is only visible when exposed to UV light.

Carson on stage during TEDx talk
Futuristic tattoos that react to the world around you

Feb. 28, 2019

Tattooing is an ancient practice and the technology used today is fundamentally the same as it was thousands of years ago. In this jaw-dropping TEDx talk, Carson Bruns, assistant professor and director of the Laboratory for Emergent Nanomaterials at the ATLAS Institute, demonstrates futuristic tattoos that are both beautiful and...

Carson Bruns in his Laboratory for Emergent Nanomaterials.
Inked talks with the creator of the new "Smart Tattoo" that can indicate when you need to apply sunscreen

Dec. 18, 2018

Carson Bruns hopes smart tattoos will help people stay healthy and more informed about their bodies, while also giving them new ways to express themselves creatively.