Laboratory animal micro tattoo system
 
This tattoo system uses a hypodermic needle to deposit paint in the skin of laboratory animals. It can be used to mark mice and rats as young as 1 day old. It only takes seconds to apply the markings and they remain readable for years. Infections can be prevented easily by using a new sterile needle for each animal.
 
Millions of numbers can be assigned by making permanent markings on the toes, the toe pads, the tail or the ears of mice and other lab animals. A grid is provided with a recommended numbering system or the product can be used for individual marking systems. 
 

Tattooing can be a simple alternative to ear punching. The micro tattoo system can be used to mark ears in a similar way they would be “marked” with an ear punch. A 25G or 27G needle can be used to tattoo small dots in a set pattern on the ears, giving each animal a unique number. A 30G needle may be required for young mice. An additional benefit of tattoos is that they do not have any effect on the ear’s blood flow. 

 
The tattoo system is shipped with two needles and a 1 oz tube of green tattoo paste. Please remember to order replacement needles and paste. Roboz offers the IN-527 27G needles for mice and rats.
 

How to use the micro tattoo system

Choose an appropriately sized hypodermic needle and attach it to the instrument. Fill a syringe with tattoo paste. Fill the reservoir of the instrument from the syringe or cut off the tip of a pipette tube and attach it to the instrument to expand the reservoir. Press the needle once into the paste to coat it with paste. 
 
Click here to see an illustration about setting up the instrument.
 
See an example of a marking system here.

 

See an illustration about the application on toes here.

Click here to view the tattoo system study by Abbott Labs.