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Temporary Tattoo Testing
20 January 2015

Temporary Tattoo Testing

This temporary tattoo may be the future of glucose testing for people with diabetes. Made from a tiny network of electrodes printed on temporary tattoo paper, the stick-on gizmo measures glucose level in the fluid between skin cells. A very mild electrical current applied to the skin for 10 minutes forces sodium ions to migrate toward the tattoo’s electrodes. These ions carry glucose that is measured using a sensor built into the tattoo. Lasting a day, the device could also be used to detect other important metabolites in the body or deliver medicine through the skin. The researchers say that this will mean people with diabetes won’t have to go through the unpleasant process of using a tiny needle to extract a small blood sample. In the future, the tattoo will send the data directly to the patient’s doctor or store it in the cloud.

Written by Nick Kennedy

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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