• KAIST researchers develop tattoo ink that functions as a bioelectrode.
• Hooked up to an electrocardiogram (ECG) device or other biosensor, it can send a readout of a patient’s heart rate.
• Researchers eventually aim to be able to dispense with biosensors.

DAEJEON – South Koreans may soon be able to carry a device inside their bodies in the form of a custom tattoo that automatically alerts them to potential health issues if a science team’s project bears fruit.

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, southwest of Seoul, have developed an electronic tattoo ink that functions as a bioelectrode and is made of liquid metal and carbon nanotubes.

It can send a readout of a patient’s heart rate and other vital signs such as glucose and lactate to a monitor when connected to an electrocardiogram (ECG) device or other biosensor.

The researchers hope to eventually eliminate the need for biosensors.

“In the future, we hope to connect a wireless chip integrated with this ink so that we can communicate or send a signal back and forth between our body and an external device,” said project leader and materials science and engineering professor Steve Park.

In theory, such monitors could be placed anywhere, including patients’ homes.

The ink is non-invasive and made of gallium particles, a soft, silvery metal also used in semiconductors and thermometers. Platinum-decorated carbon nanotubes aid in the conductivity of electricity while also providing durability.

“When it is applied to the skin, the tattoo does not come off even with rubbing, which is not possible with just liquid metal,” Park explained.

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