Keeping blood sugar levels in check is an important part of life for diabetics, but this can be a daily struggle, involving pricking their fingers and taking blood samples. Now, Google may have a solution - in the form of a "smart contact lens" that measures glucose levels in tears.
Revealing their prototype, which has been in the works for the past 18 months, Google X lab members and project co-founders Brian Otis and Babak Parviz write through their company blog that many of they people they have talked to "say managing their diabetes is like having a part-time job."
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes affects 347 million people worldwide, and in 2004 alone, 3.4 million people died as a result of high fasting blood sugar.
This highlights the importance of monitoring blood glucose levels in diabetics, which the Google X project team aims to tackle.
Aside from mortality, Otis and Parviz note that uncontrolled blood sugar increases risks for damaging the eyes, kidneys and heart.
And because glucose levels can change suddenly with normal activities, such as exercising, eating or sweating, the team says that "round the clock" monitoring is imperative.
Lens employs tiny chips, sensors and an antenna
Though some diabetics wear glucose sensors embedded under their skin, Otis and Parviz say they still need to prick their finger, resulting in many diabetics checking blood glucose levels less often.
So how did the team decide on a contact lens to measure glucose levels?
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