105015Investigation of novel pain reduced tattooing machine utilising ultrasonic energyClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UK"Active Needle Technology Limited ""ANT"" are the developers of a novel ultrasound needle ""driver"" technology that exploits the properties of ultrasonic vibration to aid the passage of needles through the tissues of the body. Crucially, the ultrasonic vibration is proven to reduce the needle insertion force and tissue trauma. ANT have developed a medical biopsy needle that must be inserted deep into the body to collect tissue samples for medical tests. The ultrasonic vibration not only eases the passage of the needle into the body, but also has the added benefit of improving the accuracy of tissue sample collection (reducing the deflection of the needle). During development, ANT have noticed a numbing sensation of the active needle on the skin. In consultation with an expert in pain management, ANT believe the ultrasonic vibration interrupts nerve function in the skin therefore reduces the pain of the needle in the skin. Initial tests on un-optimised needles have shown that the effect is real. The business wishes urgently to evaluate the use of the active needle technology and leverage its expertise in ultrasonics to reduce the pain and trauma associated with tattooing. This enables the business to access a market with a potential value an order of magnitude larger that is order of magnitude larger than the medical biopsy market, but that is also important in reconstructive surgery, e.g. addition of a false nipple following post-surgical resection of the breast. This application enables ANT to: * Research and develop a functional prototype active needle enabled tattooing machine; * Conduct to key body of tests: 1. One: using human volunteers to determine if the machine is less painful that conventional tattooing methods; 2. Two: In consultation with tattooing artists, determine if the Active Needle tattooing machine is acceptable to tattooing artists. This project enables the applicant to access a huge global potential market that is estimated to be worth approximately $1.6 bn p.a. in the US alone. The innovation in this project: current tattooing machines operate at low frequencies (similar to the flicker rate of a fluorescent lightbulb) and oscillate back and forth by a few millimetres into the skin. This innovation is to introduce a very high frequency (i.e. beyond the rage of human hearing) micro oscillations hundredths of a millimetre) in the needle to ease the passage and reducing the pain felt by the tattoo recipient."