For those who find it troublesome to wear prescription glasses, contact lenses are the next best thing. Apparently not content with contact lenses just being able to let people see better, Google has developed a smart contact lens which is basically a contact lens that sports a small wireless chip and a sensor that is able to measure a diabetic’s glucose levels, meaning that glucose levels can now be measured through the tear fluid in one’s eye. Prior to this, the typical method of measuring one’s glucose level involves constant monitoring followed by pricking one’s finger and adding that drop of blood to a device that will take measure your glucose levels.
Unfortunately it seems that this is not a product Google will be releasing anytime soon as it is one of the many projects that the Google X team is working on. For those unfamiliar, Google X is a division of Google that deals with concepts and projects that might not necessarily be in line with Google’s core competency. According to Google, they plan on eventually creating a contact lens with a LED light built into it that will be able to notify the user if their glucose levels are too high/low. Presumably right now the information will most likely be relayed to an external device, like a computer or a smartphone.
Google also states that they are currently in discussions with the FDA about turning this smart contact lens into something that is commercially and medically viable. There’s no telling when it might be, but it certainly does sound promising and we’re sure there are many diabetics out there who would not mind getting their hands on this technology.
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