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Tattoo alert for diabetics
Mark Prigg13 Feb 2009
A tattoo for diabetics that changes colour depending on their glucose levels has been unveiled by scientists.
It is hoped the breakthrough could mean the end of painful daily blood tests for millions with the condition.
The tattoo contains tiny particles of "nano ink" that change colour depending on whether they come into contact with glucose molecules.
If levels are high, the ink appears yellow. If levels of the sugar are low, it turns purple. A healthy level shows up as orange.
There are currently more than 2.5million people with diabetes in Britain and more than half a million people who don't know they have it.
Diabetics need to test their glucose levels regularly and for most this means pricking their finger to draw blood.
The tattoo only has to be a few millimetres across.
The Massachusetts-based Draper Laboratories team accidentally discovered the ink while researching hydration in athletes.
Reader views (2)
This would be a really useful thing to have and would really improve my life. I often get drops of blood on my clothes from pricking my finger for a blood test. Also the fact that I could look and see instantly what my blood sugar level is doing would really help me avoid hypo's as it's a permanent indicator that is on me. I would be very interested in getting one of these tattoo's if it was ever available.
- Dan, Halstead, Sevenoaks, 14/02/2009 13:23
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Thanks for the story Evening Standard, but misleading and inaccurate reporting. The story gives the impression that a 'tattoo' has been - and I quote from your story - "unveilled to the public". Not so. A US medical research lab called Draper Laboratories is working on a research project to develop a nanosensor - a tiny cluster of chemical-sensitive molecules that could be injected under the skin surface and which would react to changes in blood glucose levels. There is no indication at all that the nanosensor might resemble or might ever be manipulated so that it would be in the form of a tattoo. A small device about the size of a computer mouse would be needed to reveal any changes in colour in the nanosensor and therby indicating the level of blood glucose.
So far research has been done for a nanosensor to detect levels of saline in test animals, but no tests have been carried out for a nanosensor for blood-glucose in animals, so it is nothing more than a research projection and goal as to whether a nanosensor for blood-glucose can or will ever be developed.
Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story though.
- David Kay, London, 14/02/2009 12:13
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