Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • Subscribe to Print Magazine
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech

Smart Ink Eliminates Dreaded Needle

April 18, 2019 By Tierney King

Tattoos may take on another role within the healthcare industry. In the future, these tattoos could warn individuals of too much sun exposure and remind patients to take their medication.

By using intelligent ink and requiring a less invasive injection technique, researchers from the University of Twente have developed a micro-jet injection technology that doesn’t use needles. The technology utilizes an ultrafast liquid jet about as thick as a human hair, which penetrates the skin.

Today, about 44 million Europeans wear the classic ‘anchor’ tattoo on their body. Although largely accepted in society, the technique to get a tattoo poses many health risks. The process can be both painful and damaging to the skin. Additionally, needles have to be disposed of in a safe manner and some ink is even wasted. The alternative technique that David Fernández Rivas and his team are developing eliminates waste and is less detrimental to the skin.

In their research paper, the team compares their new approach to the classic needle technology on an artificial skin with high speed images.

The technique utilizes a laser that rapidly heats a fluid inside a microchannel on a glass chip. Heated above boiling point, a vapor bubble forms and grows, which pushes the liquid out at speeds of 360 km/h. The jet is then capable of going through human skin, but without the painful feeling of a needle.

“You don’t feel much of it, no more than a mosquito bite,” Fernandez Rivas says.

When comparing their research, the team found that the micro-jet consumes a smaller amount of energy, minimizes skin damage, and the overall injection efficiency is higher. Additionally, there is no risk of contaminated needles

The next steps in development of the microjet include expanding the microjet, since often multiple needles with different colors are used, and increasing the volume that can be delivered.

In addition, the researchers believe these methods could greatly impact the medical field. Today, tattoo-resembling techniques help cover scars and treat hair diseases. Now, this technique could also be used for other health-related areas pertaining to vaccinations and health sensors. Some potential applications could include adapting the ink to become light-sensitive or enabling it to respond to certain substances in a person’s skin or sweat. The future may very well be right on our skin with health-related tattoos.  

A laser heats the liquid in a microchannel. A vapour bubble grows fast, causing the liquid (containing medication or ink) to be ejected out of the channel at high speed. Credit: University of Twente

Related Articles Read More >

Connected device design for the real world: Managing the development process
A portrait of ResMed President and COO Rob Douglas
ResMed finds a solution to semiconductor shortage, as well as some humor in it
Johnson & Johnson Office of Digital Innovation Leader Peter Schulam
Imagining the future of cloud-connected medical devices with Johnson & Johnson leaders
Withings Body Scan
Withings plans launch for Body Scan smart scale platform

DeviceTalks Weekly.

August 5, 2022
DTW Medtronic's Greg Smith lays out supply chain strategies
See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

Enewsletter Subscriptions

Enewsletter Subscriptions

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to E-newsletter
  • Attend our Monthly Webinars
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media LLC. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • Subscribe to Print Magazine
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech