Google has said it’s testing of a “smart contact lens” is to help measure glucose levels.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25771907?print=true
“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.
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.
People suffering from a 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”.
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.”
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.
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.