Total Tattoo – August 2019

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

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Entries received after the closing date will not

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Only one entry per person please, and

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In recent years we've brought you a number of
interesting stories about biomedical 'tattoos' – smart
inks that can monitor health conditions or alert the
wearer to environmental hazards. A team at the
University of Twente in the Netherlands has now been
working on a new way to inject these special inks into
the skin... that doesn't use needles.

The new technique involves an ultra-fast jet of the 'ink'
(as thin as a human hair) being fired at the skin. It
penetrates to the required depth, and apparently feels
something like a small mosquito bite. The liquid is
propelled out of a micro-channel on a glass chip. Heated
by a laser, a vapour bubble forms as the temperature
rapidly soars above boiling point, and that's what ejects
it at such high speed.

The advantages to the tattooee are obvious. There's less
pain, less skin trauma, and minimal infection risk. But the
new technique is also described as being more
environmentally friendly than conventional tattooing

because less energy is used and there are fewer

disposables.

There are many potential applications for this new

technique – including biosensors for blood sugar, sun

exposure and so on, needle-free vaccinations and a wide

range of other medical treatments – and in years to

come, who knows, it might even revolutionise the whole

world of tattooing. Researcher David Fernández Rivas

says the next step is to investigate ways of increasing the

volume of liquid that can be delivered, and to develop

smart inks that can safely remain in the body for longer

periods of time. It's early days, so watch this space.

The RAF has announced a limited relaxation of its
anti-tattoo policy in an effort to promote greater
inclusivity and reach its recruitment targets. Airforce
personnel can now have visible hand and neck
tattoos... but don't get too excited. You can only have
a tattoo on your hand if it's on your finger and small
enough to be covered by a ring, and any neck tattoo
mustn't be visible from the front (whilst wearing
certain uniforms) or extend beyond the hairline.
Cosmetic eyebrow tattoos are now also permitted,
but only if they are natural in appearance. Tattoos will
no longer be required to be covered, whatever the
occasion. Tattoos considered to be obscene or
offensive remain banned.
Check out http://www.raf.mod.uk/recruitment

TATTOOS WITHOUT NEEDLES