Google's diabetes-tracking smart contact lens project (2014-01-18)

Act 1
"The daily sticking of the finger may soon become a thing of the past, thanks to a diagnostic system with Fraunhofer technology built-in. The underlying concept is a biosensor that is located on the patient’s body. It is also able to measure glucose levels continuously using tissue fluids other than blood, such as in sweat or tears. The patient could dispense with the constant needle pricks. In the past, such bioelectric sensors were too big, too imprecise and consumed too much power.
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS in Duisburg have recently achieved a major breakthrough: They have developed a biosensor in nano-form that circumvents these hurdles."

 

 

Act 2
Google Inc said on Thursday that it is testing a new method for diabetics to monitor their blood-sugar levels by wearing a contact lens equipped with tiny chips and an antenna.
Google said a prototype of its "smart contact lens" can generate a reading of a tear's glucose level every second, potentially replacing the need for people with diabetes to prick their fingers and test drops of blood throughout the day.

"It’s still early days for this technology, but we’ve completed multiple clinical research studies which are helping to refine our prototype. We hope this could someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their disease."

For more information
Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS - Duisburg

Google official blog

Measuring glucose without needle pricks (24/10/2012)

MDN