pharmaceutical company novartis to commercialize google's smart contact lens

pharmaceutical company novartis to commercialize google’s smart contact lens
all images courtesy google

novartis, the swiss pharmaceutical company has announced that its eye care division alcon has entered into an agreement with google to license its ‘smart lens’ technology for all commercial ocular medical uses. the collaboration will ultimately marry google’s expertise in miniaturized electronics, low power chip design and microfabrication with alcon’s expertise in physiology and visual performance of the eye, clinical development and evaluation with the potential to address ocular conditions.

the technology will help diabetic patients manage their disease by providing a continuous, minimally invasive measurement of the body’s glucose levels via the smart contact lens. the digital treatment is designed to measure tear fluid in the eye and connects wirelessly with a mobile device.

for people living with presbyopia who can no longer read without glasses, the lens also has the potential to provide accommodative vision correction to help restore the eye’s natural autofocus on near objects in the form of an accommodative contact lens or intraocular lens as part of the refractive cataract treatment.