Getting nano tattoos right-A checklist of legal and ethical hurdles for an emerging nanomedical technology

The nano tattoo represents a nascent technology designed to be implanted in the skin to provide continuous and reliable glucose detection for diabetics. Its potential benefits are compelling not only for its ability to prevent diabetic complications and decrease related social costs, but also for its ease of use and relative patient-user comfort. This Note aims to articulate a checklist of fundamental intellectual property, bioethical and system design issues that are appropriately considered in the pre-clinical, pre-commercialization phase of nano tattoo development. Early and regular consideration of these factors can increase the odds of a societally beneficial dissemination of this device by engaging relevant researcher, medical, patient-user and patient-advocate communities concerned with its appropriate application, as well as policymaking communities focused on effectively managing diabetes-related healthcare costs. The checklist of factors includes fundamental issues and is generally applicable to nanomedical inventions. From the Clinical Editor: This paper presents a comprehensive list of fundamental intellectual property, bioethical, and system design issues to be considered in the pre-commercialization phase of nanomedicine development, through the specific example of nano tattoo development. Nano tattoo is designed to be implanted in the skin to provide reliable glucose monitoring for diabetics, enabling enhanced prevention of complications and decreased socioeconomic costs.