Google unveils ‘smart contact lens’

All-things-tech-related company Google has announced that it is actively testing a new “smart contact lens” that can measure glucose levels in tears. 

News of the technology was announced in a company blog post, in which the device was described as having a “tiny” wireless chip and “miniaturized” glucose sensor embedded between “two layers of soft contact lens material”.

The company said that it is now working on the integration of LED lights into the lens, too, which would light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed certain thresholds.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, one in ten people around the world are expected to have diabetes by 2035; as per Google’s post, one in 19 are currently suffering from it.

Those afflicted must monitor their glucose levels regularly, as sudden spikes or drops can be dangerous. Presently, this is done by testing drops of blood. Google said that their lens is designed to eliminate this painful process, and that it can generate a reading “once per second”.

The company stated that its team is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to bring the lens to the mainstream, adding that it would be looking for partners “who are experts in bringing products like this to market”.

Specifically, Google said it would work with these partners to develop apps that can deliver the measurements recorded by the lens to the wearer and doctor.

The post said that there was still “a lot more work” that needed to be done in order to get the lens to the point that it could be used on an everyday basis.

“We hope this could someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their disease,” the article concluded.