Permanent, removable tissue markings

• US 6,800,122 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Freedom-2, Inc., The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Richard R., Drill, Craig A., Mlynarczyk, Susanna K.
• Primary Examiner(s): KLEMANSKI, HELENE G
• Application Number:
  US10/387,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20030167964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 106/31.03, 106/31.15, 106/31.32, 106/31.33, 106/31.64, 106/31.65
• US Class Current: 106/31.03
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/412 Microsized, i.e. having sizes between 0.1 and 100 microns
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/438 Thermochromatic; Photochromic; Phototropic
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/56 Compounds, absorbed onto or entrapped into a solid carrier, e.g. encapsulated perfumes, inclusion compounds, sustained release forms
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/624 by macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/0241 Containing particulates characterized by their shape and/or structure see also A61K8/04, A61K8/11, and A61K8/14, further aspects are classified in A61K2800/40 and subcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 1/025 Semi-permanent tattoos, stencils, e.g. "permanent make-up"
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/04 for chemically tanning the skin topical sun or radiation screening or tanning preparations A61Q17/04
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/00 Inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/02 Printing inks C09D11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/037 characterised by the pigment
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/50 Sympathetic, colour changing or similar inks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 430/145 Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 430/165 Thermal imaging composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2991 Coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2993 Silicic or refractory material containing [e.g., tungsten oxide, glass, cement, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention provides microparticles that create permanent tissue markings, such as tattoos, designed in advance for change and/or removal on demand, as well as methods for implanting the microparticles in tissue and changing and/or removing the resulting markings. Colored microparticles are constructed with specific electromagnetic absorption and/or structural properties that facilitate changing and/or removing tissue markings made using the microparticles by applying specific energy (such as electromagnetic radiation from a laser or flash-lamp) to the tissue marking site.

Claims

1. A tattoo ink comprising particles, at least one particle comprising a core of at least one pigment or dye and a vehicle that surrounds said core,

wherein said vehicle or core, or both vehicle and core, comprises a discrete absorption component that alters the corresponding particle when exposed to exogenous energy.

2. A tattoo ink according to claim 1, wherein said pigment or dye is selected from the group consisting of materials that are fluorescent and phosphorescent.

3. A tattoo ink according to claim 1, wherein said exogenous energy is selected from the group consisting of thermal energy, light energy, electrical energy, sonic energy, magnetic energy, mechanical energy, and combinations thereof.

4. A tattoo ink according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle surrounds a plurality of cores, and one or more discrete absorption components are located in the vehicle, or in the one or more cores, or in the vehicle and one or more cores.

5. A tattoo ink according to claim 1, wherein the core contains a sub-microparticle.

6. A tattoo ink according to claim 5, wherein one or more discrete absorption components are located in the vehicle, the core, the sub-microparticle, or in any combinations thereof.

7. A tattoo ink according to claim 5, wherein the core contains a bleachable pigment or dye, the sub-microparticle contains a bleaching agent, and the discrete absorption component is located in the sub-microparticle.

8. A tattoo ink according to claim 1, wherein the core contains nanoparticles of said at least one pigment or dye.