New tattoo inks to help you monitor your health

Biometric patterns will now change color in response to key changes in your body.

Many people get tattoos based on their personal aesthetic preferences. But now the tattoos will be able to perform a practical function as well, thanks to German scientists who have created new inks that will display important information about the host’s health when they get on human skin.

The scientists at the University of Munich did the experiments with pig skin. The first formulation was a mixture of methyl red, bromothymol blue and phenolphthalein. This liquid has a yellow color, but in response to the increase in acidity it turns blue.

The second ink reacts to glucose, turning greenish from yellow. This mixture can be useful to combat diabetes. The third liquid is colorless, but can take a bluish shade in the presence of albumin, a protein that indicates renal failure.

The inks are cheap in production and do not cause discomfort to the patient. They can be applied to the skin with a conventional typewriter.