Google has said it is
testing a "smart contact lens" that can help measure glucose levels
in tears.
It uses a "tiny"
wireless chip and a "miniaturised" glucose sensor embedded between
two layers of lens material.
The firm said it is also
working on integrating tiny LED lights that could light up to indicate that
glucose levels have crossed certain thresholds.
But it added that "a
lot more work" needed to be done to get the technology ready for everyday
use.
"It's still early days
for this technology, but we've completed multiple clinical research studies
which are helping to refine our prototype," the firm said in a blogpost.
"We hope this could
someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their
disease."
'Exciting
development'
Many global firms have been
looking to expand in the wearable technology sector - seen by many as a key
growth area in the coming years.
Various estimates have said
the sector is expected to grow by between $10bn and $50bn (£6bn and £31bn) in
the next five years.
Within the sector, many
firms have been looking specifically at technology targeted at healthcare.
Google's latest foray with
the smart contact lens is aimed at a sector where consumer demand for such
devices is expected to grow.
According to the
International Diabetes Federation, one in ten people across the world's
population are forecast to have diabetes by 2035.
People suffering from the
condition need to monitor their glucose levels regularly as sudden spikes or
drops are dangerous. At present, the majority of them do so by testing drops of
blood.
Google said it was testing a
prototype of the lens that could "generate a reading once per
second".
"This is an exciting
development for preventive healthcare industry," Manoj Menon, managing
director of consulting firm Frost & Sullivan told the BBC.
"It is likely to spur a
range of other innovations towards miniaturizing technology and using it in
wearable devices to help people monitor their bodies better."
Open
innovation?
Google said it was working
with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to bring the product to
mainstream use.
It added that it would look
for partners "who are experts in bringing products like this to
market".
Google said it would work
with these partners to develops apps aimed at making the measurements taken by
the lens available to the wearer and their doctor.
Mr Menon said it was
"commendable" that Google was willing to work with other partners
even before the product was commercially ready.
Sensible Baby Sensible Baby
showcased a prototype baby sleep monitoring system at this year's CES
"Their open innovation
approach is going to help accelerate the development of this product and get it
out to the market much faster," he said.
Other firms have also been
looking towards wearable products that help monitor the health of the wearer.
Earlier this month, a gadget
called Sensible Baby was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las
Vegas. It is a sensor put in an infant's night clothes that tracks their
temperature, orientation and movement.
It sounds a smartphone app
alarm if it detects a problem.
Several smartwatches that
can monitor data by studying key indicators such as the the wearer's heart rate
and temperature have also been launched.
Last year, Japanese firm
Sony filed a patent for a 'SmartWig', with healthcare cited as one of its
potential uses.
It said the wig could use a
combination of sensors to help collect information such as temperature, pulse
and blood pressure of the wearer.
No comments:
Post a Comment