The scannable tattoo

THE SCANNABLE TATTOO

DESMA 9ART + SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGYSPRING 2016LENA CORREIASECTION [1]


ABSTRACT ▸ [The Scannable tattoo is a tattoo that holds someone’s personal

medical information. Integrated into the tattoo are three sets of small dots. The small dots form patterns that holds information in a database similar to QR and RFID codes. The tattoo holds the information in a pattern similar to brail. Brail is a pattern of raised dots that represent different letters of the alphabet. A QR code can be scanned on a smartphone or another device that is able to read the code. The intent of the Scannable tattoo is to put the information into a medical database enabling doctors to quickly figure out who the person is or any other medical information about them. The Scannable Tattoo creates efficiency and effectiveness when treating patients. Also, The Scannable tattoo enables people to no longer have to carry around driver's license.]


CONCEPT / TOPIC▸ [Since starting this class, I have become interested in psychology and medical

technology. I am also extremely interested in how art and technology can enhance someone’s quality of life. Growing up, my grandfather was constantly in and out of the hospital with a heart condition. His heart condition greatly effected his everyday life. Incase of a medical emergency, he always had to wear a medical identification bracelet that said his name and that he had a heart condition. Although medical ID bracelets and wallets are supposed to be carried around all of the time and help to identify patients, sometimes people forget to bring them and the younger generation is more reluctant to wear them. They are more reluctant to wear them because they would be publicizing their medical issues. Tattoos are becoming extremely common in popular culture. In a recent NBC article, someone said that their “body is an empty canvas.” Thus, tattoos are the perfect form of art that can be continually added to the body and tattoos help people to express their identity and individuality. Tattoos are one of the few art forms that will never disappear or loose their culture popularity. I strongly believe in the idea that combing technology with art can enhance the medical field and be beneficial towards the welfare of the patients.]


CONTEXT / PRECEDENTS ▸ [Technology and art are merging together to create new and innovative

medical technology. Medical technology is helping to sustain patients health. Although most first responders look for medical identification bracelets when tending to a patient, medical bracelets are not meant for everyone. Only people with serious medical conditions are given medical ID bracelets. Therefore first responders are unaware of allergies or less severe but common medical problems that people may have. This can hinder patients immediate care. Also, remembering to wear a medical ID bracelet continuously can be hard for some people, especially in elders. the human barcode has become a popular futuristic idea. The human barcode is imprinted onto someone’s body and allows someone to be easily identified. Although this seems like a good idea, the human barcode will diminish the idea of privacy because the person can be constantly tracked. The design of the barcode is not ascetically appealing to have on the body and if someone were to have a barcode imprinted onto their body, it presents them as property rather than an individual.


PROJECT PROPOSAL

▸ [The Scannable Tattoo is a three step process. First, a person must decide what type of tattoo they want. Because tattoos are considered wearable art, the patient is able to design a personalized tattoo. Being able to customize the tattoo, compared to the human barcode, makes The Scannable Tattoo more appealing to consumers. Having a patterned integrated into the tattoo does not affect the tattoos content. When choosing or creating a design, the patient should avoid smaller tattoo design because it makes the coded dots harder to read when being scanned. The Scannable tattoo uses the same ink as conventional tattoos. Various parts of the body have different reactions to tattoos. Neck tattoos are not recommended because aging causes the skin around the neck to stretch and it will loose its resilience earlier. Similarly, rib cage tattoos are not recommended because the rib cage has very little skin which makes it painful to get a tattoo there. Therefore, the only restriction with The Scannable tattoo is that it must go onto your arm. The arm is a typical exposed body part which makes the tattoo easily accessible to first responders, is the most tolerable body part towards pain, and tattoos on the arm do not fade as easily due to less exposure to the sun. However, although the arm is typically exposed, it is not the most prominent part of the body so it does not draw a lot of attention. The arm is the ideal place to put a tattoo that is intended to remain with you for a long time.]


PROJECT PROPOSAL

▸ [The second part of the Scannable Tattoo is the pattern that is embedded into the tattoo and translated into a coded database. When preparing to get The Scannable Tattoo, the person must enter their information into the medical database. Once their information is put into the medical database, the computer is able to generate a pattern (made out of dots) that encrypts the person’s information. Each patient has an individualized pattern. The square patterns incorporated into the tattoo are created from the information that is entered into the medical database. When applying the tattoo, the small dot patterns are slightly raised from the skin. As a result, when someone is touching their tattoo they are able to feel the dot patterns in their skin. Fortunately, the dot patterns do not have to be a specific color, so the dot patterns are less noticeable because they blend into the tattoo.]


PROJECT PROPOSAL

▸ [The last part of the Scannable Tattoo is reading the information that is encoded into the code. Similar to QR codes, the pattern on the tattoo is readable by scanning the tattoo. If someone has a smartphone or another device that can scan items, they are able to read the tattoo and see the person’s identification and information if they have access to the specific mobile application. Recently, there has been a lot of debate about whether or not scanning code is a violation of privacy. The Scannable Tattoo would be highly politicized because it holds private information about someone’s life that is universally accessible. However, unlike QR codes, The Scannable Tattoo is attached to someone’s body which makes it scannable only when given permission or during medical emergencies.]


CONCLUSION▸ [The medical field relies on medical identification bracelets to

help reduce treatment mistakes. However, some patients are forgetful of wearing their medical bracelets and some are reluctant to wear it because they do not want their medical information to be publicly disclosed. Similarly, the medical field is relying more on medical technology, such as computers and the google-glass, to hold patient information. As tattoos are becoming more popular amongst the younger generation and technology is being used more and more, The Scannable Tattoo is a perfect alternative to a medical identification bracelet. The Scannable Tattoo allows for easy access to non-publicized medical information as well as an opportunity to individualize the body through art.]


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4. Thompson, Elizabeth Chabner. "Tattoos and Body Piercing: Self-Expression or Self-Mutilation?" Womens Wellness. Web. 30 Apr. 2016. <http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/elizabeth-thompson-womens-wellness/tattoos-body-piercing-self-expression-self-mutilation/>.


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The scannable tattoo

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