Temporary ‘smart tattoo’ could catch skin cancer before it’s visible
A team of Canadian researchers has developed a temporary 'smart tattoo' designed to detect melanomas before they become visible. This innovative technology measures temperature variations on the skin's surface to identify early-stage skin cancer. The goal is to provide a minimally invasive diagnostic tool that could reduce the need for biopsies and improve accuracy in detecting aggressive melanomas.
- ▪The smart tattoo uses microneedles to deposit nanoparticles beneath the skin that function as thermometers.
- ▪Researchers tested the technology on mice and successfully detected micro-melanomas as young as four days old.
- ▪The Skin Cancer Foundation predicts a significant increase in melanoma cases in the US, with 234,680 expected diagnoses in 2026.
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Health Temporary ‘smart tattoo’ could catch skin cancer before it’s visible By Reda Wigle Published May 29, 2026, 1:20 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google Finally, a new use for temporary tattoos beyond kiddie goodie bags. A team of Canadian researchers says it has developed a temporary “smart tattoo” to spot melanomas before they’re visible — and life-threatening. Published last week in Nature Sensors, the new study evaluated the efficacy of SMEAR-ULM, which measures temperature variations on the skin’s surface to detect skin cancer at its earliest stages. “Our goal is to provide a minimally invasive tool to detect very small, but still aggressive melanomas,” said senior study author Jinyang Liang.
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