Google Making Contact Lenses

Tiny chip, sensor can monitor diabetics' glucose level in tears
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 17, 2014 4:21 AM CST
Google Unveils 'Smart Contact Lens' for Diabetics
Google X project leader Brian Otis says after years of soldering hair-thin wires to miniaturize electronics, he has burned his fingertips so often that he can no longer feel the tiny chips he made.   (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

After an acquisition that brings it deep into people's homes, Google is getting up close and personal with people's bodies. The latest project from the firm's secretive Google X facility is a "smart" contact lens that monitors the glucose levels of diabetics with a tiny wireless chip and sensor, reports PC World. It notes that the move into the rapidly expanding field of wearable medical technology brings Google even further away from its online software roots.

"We've always said that we’d seek out projects that seem a bit speculative or strange, and at a time when the International Diabetes Federation is declaring that the world is 'losing the battle' against diabetes, we thought this project was worth a shot," Google said in a blog post. The company says a lot more work needs to be done before the lens can reach consumers, but it is already looking for partners who can help bring it to market, reports the BBC. (In other Google news, a Google Glass legal precedent was set yesterday.)

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