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Bioscience Veterans Dr. James Winkelman and Martin Schmieg Join SoundHealth Platform Boca Raton, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/23/2015 -- While tattooing has existed for more than 5,000 years, the process of tattoo removal continues to plague dermatologist who continue to seek a safe, effective and reliable method to remove them. "Tattoo regret" is essentially an unmet medical need. Tattooing is one of the ultimate forms of self-expression and the art of tattooing continues to expand and advance in technique. In the US, approximately 45 million people (14% of the total population) have at least one tattoo. For those between the ages of 26 and 40, the percentage increases to 40%. It is estimated that in the US $1.65 billion dollars is spent annually on tattooing. Tattooing is the mechanical insertion of a "foreign body" – commonly ink particles into the skin. Three things happen during tattooing process, a portion of the injected ink is excreted back out of the skin, a portion of the injected ink is absorbed by the body, the future impact of which could be harmful to your health, and the remaining particles are trapped in the skin forming the tattoo. The potential negative health consequences of tattooing have been debated for a very long time. The fact is that many ink pigments used in tattoos are industrial strength colors suitable for printers' ink or automobile paint, and in many cases are made from iron oxides (rust), metal salts and plastics. Materials in tattoo inks include but are not limited to carbon, mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum, titanium, copper, iron, barium, ferrocyanide, ferricyanide, azo-chemicals, naptha-derived chemicals, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, calcium, lithium, selenium and sulfur – many of which can be harmful to the tattoo wearer. Further to this point, current laser tattoo removal techniques may chemically modify the embedded tattoo ink particles which when absorbed by the body in their natural or modified state could be deleterious to the treated tattoo wearer. Tattoo regret, societal stigmas and health concerns regarding tattoo removal have created a substantial market opportunity for a new, safe and effective means of tattoo removal. The ERASER™ System is designed to be the next generation in tattoo removal. Using a patent pending process of dislodging the embedded ink particles from their cellular captors the ERASER™ System, for the first time, can safely extract ink particles from the skin leaving no visible trace of the tattoo. More importantly, the ERASER™ System avoids the potential health risk of ink particle absorption. The potential individual, societal and health risk benefits of the ERASER™ System will resolve an important medical need while generating a substantial business opportunity. The ERASER™ System is anticipated to be cleared by the FDA for commercial use in 2017. The SoundHealth platform enables access to leading medical research as well as public and private partners that have a stake in the successful outcome of tattoo removal. The potential value of the ERASER™ System to the criminal rehabilitation sector is substantial. The Federal Funding & Services for Prisoner Reentry program is dedicated to reduce the recidivism rate across the US. SoundHealth considers it plausible that incarcerated individuals can re-enter society free of visible tattoos and stand a substantially better chance of obtaining employment and consequently, a fresh start in life. As an organization dedicated to improving the human condition, we are pleased to partner with Dr. Winkelman and Mr. Schmieg in their endeavor to bring the ERASER™ System to market.