Google announced Tuesday, July 15, that they will develop and produce contact lenses that could potentially measure wearers’ blood sugar levels.
The Huffington Post reported that Google, partnered with Swiss drugmaker Novartis, would create “smart” contact lenses that would measure one’s glucose levels using tears. More than that, the lenses would also send the records to the user’s phone. The product would benefit diabetics, who poke their fingers many times a day to check their sugar level.
“We’re now testing a smart contact lens that’s built to measure glucose levels in tears using a tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor that are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material,” Google wrote in January.
According to The New York Times, it was not the first time Novartis has tried to develop this technology. The company actually attempted to create the product several years ago but failed to do so. So this time, Google’s involvement in the project would be an important factor in successfully developing the lenses.
“One of the biggest hurdles was miniaturization, and that’s one of the biggest benefits that Google X brings,” Joe Jimenez, the chief executive of Novartis, said. “This is a set of engineers that are really doing incredible things with technology.”
The new project would take Google one step closer into the health care sector as other competitors like Apple and Samsung were creating devices and apps that track users’ daily activities.
Author: Cho KwanLi
Photo: Via Google Official Blog
