Tuesday, October 19, 2010

New LED Lights Can Be Implanted Under Skin

Have you ever wanted your own "light up" tattoo? What about a watch that was built into your skin? Maybe you want glowing fingers like ET? New LED (light-emitting diodes) lights developed by University of Illinois researcher, John Rogers and his colleges--are so flexible and thin--they can be implanted under the skin.

The ultra-thin LEDs were primarily designed for medical purposes only. For example, using them to light up when blood sugar gets too high/low, or to monitor drugs in the body and ect.

“The applications we’re interested in mostly include interfaces with the human body,” explains John Rogers.

Unlike usual LED lights, which are very brittle and break easily, these new LEDs can be bent by up to 720 degrees without any damage. To allow for such flexibility, the super tiny LEDs (100 microns across and 2.5 microns thick) are placed on stretchable electronic sheets. Not only are the ultra-flexible but they are also waterproof.

Now I'm sure these will come in very handy for medical purposes, but do you think that's where this technology will end? I sure don't.

I can already see the days when people will be using them for super-awesome glowing tattoos and pet lovers will use them to create fancy "light up" pets, or sex freaks will use them you know where. Heck, you could even create your own Avatar style light glitter if you wanted too. The opportunities are endless!

I think it would be cool to implant some red ones in your face and make them light up only when your mad.  So when you do get mad, your face will glow red!

(ScientificAmerican)

Related Stories:
Scientists Developing Microchip Device That Could Help Heal Brain Damage
Genetically Altered Salmon May Hit Store Shelves Near You
Brain Damage From Stroke May Not Be Permanent 
Dog's Head Kept Alive Without A Body 
Toshiba Releasing 3D TVs That Don't Require Glasses