InfinitInk is a tattoo ink, which allows for easier tattoo removal, with removal up to three times faster than conventional inks. Further, it is the first tattoo ink to be developed in the United States with medical trials for safety testing.[1]
It is produced by Freedom2, Inc., and is available as of January 2009 in limited release in the United States. It is currently only available in black and red, with other colors planned.
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The initial ink formulation consisted of inert plastic beads (made of PMMA), containing bioremovable dyes. Laser application ruptures the beads, allowing the ink to leak out and be removed by the body. Freedom2 referred to the technology as the Particle Encapsulation and Enhancement (P2E) Platform. This method, although effective, left room for improvements to its aesthetic appeal to the artists.
The technology was initially developed by Drs. Bruce Klitzman and Kim Koger who were at Duke University and were granted the first ever patent on tattoo inks (US Patent # 6,013,122). The concept received widespread acclaim in the press, which included the NY Times, the LA Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Guardian, Time (2007 Invention of the Year in fashion), New York Magazine, Fortune, Self, Smithsonian, Science News, and Allure. It also received attention in the broadcast media, including ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, The Colbert Report, BET, Fox News, and Bloomberg. It was further refined by Drs. R. Rox Anderson of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, Edith Mathiowitz and A. Peter Morello of Brown University.
After several iterations, Freedom2, Inc. developed a tattoo ink that is "permanent, yet more easily removable" than conventional tattoo ink while maintaining the same aesthetic properties demanded by tattoo artists and consumers. Freedom2 now uses a proprietary process to produce their inks. The black ink is steadily becoming more widely available.
The concept for this ink arose initially from potential medical uses, such as in reconstructive surgery and in radiation oncology. However, it was clear that a permanent and safe, yet more removable ink would also find use by some artists for decorative tattooing.