Join us for this virtual lecture Tattoos for Human Health: The Future of Smart Tattoos, with Dr. Carson J. Bruns. Dr. Bruns is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. During this lecture, they will be share exciting developments in the world of high-tech tattoos. This lecture is free, please register below to receive the Zoom link.
Check out Dr. Bruns TEDTalk on the subject.
Lecture Abstract:
Although tattooing is a very ancient practice, innovations in tattoo technology have been highly limited. Some tattoo pigments are made of the same materials that were used over 5000 years ago, and modern tattoo machines are not so different from the first one patented in 1891. In the Emergent Nanomaterials Lab, we believe that tattooing is ready for an upgrade. We develop tattoo inks that serve a functional purpose beyond the decorative / aesthetic. Instead, our tattoo inks act as a medium for embedding useful microscopic implants in the skin. Relying on nanotechnology, we design tattoos that impart the skin with new properties, such as enhanced sensitivity to – or protection from – damaging radiation, temperatures, etc. Now, tattoos can change color and respond to changes in their environment. We hope to use these high-tech tattoos to power biomedical devices and wearable technologies, monitor and diagnose health issues, and augment human sensing and self-expression. In parallel, we are developing new tattooing methods that will make tattooing faster, safer, and less painful. In the future, tattoos will not only be quick and painless; they will be healthy for you too.