Tattoos may be used to monitor health

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GMA News Online â€" 7 hours ago


Soon, the tattoos you wear may be more than just body decoration - they may also help monitor your health by checking your sweat.
Researchers at the University of California-San Diego are working on biosensor tattoos that monitor electrolyte and metabolite levels in one's sweat.

“This technology is useful for people who need to monitor their weight and daily levels of physical activity. The higher the quantity of these chemicals in the sweat the higher that person’s physical activity. By keeping a record of these chemicals we can see whether the patient’s stamina is improving,” grad student Amay Bandodkar said.

The electrochemical biosensors can be mounted on temporary transfer tattoos, which use carbon fiber backbones so they can bend with the skin.

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Also, the biosensors will use a conductive polymer that is sensitive to pH-levels in sweat.

The research team is also working on a tattoo sensor for detecting sodium and ammonia in sweat.

With this, doctors could monitor a patient’s physical activity as levels of lactate, sodium and ammonia in sweat are proportional to physical activity.

The university said this solution is "inexpensive, non-invasive and easily disguisable whether applied directly to the skin or sewn discretely into clothing."

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Military, security applications

The university said such tattoos may also have military and security applications, such as in detecting explosives.

Such tattoos can detect chemical compounds while tuning out others, it said.

In the meantime, the researchers are testing the durability of the technology via hand-washing with soap, mechanical strain, and response over extended durations of wear, including during exercise.
"That’s because the device must maintain its sensing capability through the rigors of normal wear and tear," it said. â€" TJD, GMA News