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Google testing contact lens to measure glucose levels
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Google introduced a smart contact lens project on its blog aimed at helping patients manage their diabetes more efficiently.
The blog post, which states that one in 19 people in the world is currently dealing with diabetes, noted that existing testing can be disruptive and painful, causing many patients to monitor their glucose levels less stringently than they should.
To solve that problem, project co-founders Brian Otis, MS, PhD, and Babak Parviz, PhD, are looking to capitalize on testing glucose via tears. The technology consists of a wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor sandwiched between two layers of contact lens material, as detailed in the blog post.
Google is reportedly testing models that can generate readings once per second. They are also assessing other features, such as the integration of LED lights that could alert wearers when specific glucose thresholds have been crossed, according to the blog post.
"It’s still early days for this technology, but we’ve completed multiple clinical research studies [that] are helping to refine our prototype," the co-founders wrote. "We hope this could someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their disease."
Google is in discussions with the FDA, according to the post.