Tattoos are notoriously painful and take hours to administer, as they require repeatedly piercing the skin's top layer with a sharp needle covered with pigment. But the microneedles can be pressed into the skin just once and then dissolve, leaving the ink in the skin after a few minutes without bleeding.
Oh, no! Will chavs around the world rejoice and plan their avoidance of work forever?
Well, no. This has genuinely useful practical applications for people with no desire to recreate 'The Illustrated Man':
The new tattoo patch has been designed for medical tattoos, which can be used to cover up scars, guide repeated cancer radiation treatments, restore nipples after breast surgery and much more. Tattoos also can be used instead of bracelets as medical alerts to communicate serious medical conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy or allergies.
Of course, it won't stop there, will it?
Professor Prausnitz told MailOnline that the patch could also administer normal, recreational, artistic tattoos too. 'We envision their use for medical, veterinary and cosmetic, recreational, artistic purposes,' he said. 'Microneedle patches simplify access to tattoos in general by reducing required expertise, pain and cost.'
*sighs*
I say yet again: Tattoos: self abuse which lasts a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteI had to search for details after reading that the needles dissolve in the skin.
ReplyDeleteThe needles are made of the ink, and are mounted on a patch.
And the application is painless.
Which led me to think that free access to this technology will lead to jokers placing tattoo patches on unsuspecting victims. Such larks. And the victim would never know who did it.
The ink could also be invisible, only showing up under UV or IR light.
What a cunning way to "mark" someone for whatever nefarious reason.
And thanks for the memory of The Illustrated Man. Somewhere I have a copy of the original paperback book paid for by student grant.
Oh no not another blow to our dear old high street. First they came for the tattoo parlors, next it will be the betting shops, eastern European supermarkets, vape shops and then the estate agents. The poor old high street will never be the same again.
ReplyDeleteI can see more and more first-year students waking up from a drunken night out with an image of an erect penis on their forehead.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I suppose it would mark them out for employment in the BBC, The Grundiag, or the Labour Party.
Penseivat
"I can see more and more first-year students waking up from a drunken night out with an image of an erect penis on their forehead."
ReplyDelete😂🤣