Smart contact lens, created by a University of Western Ontario professor, help measure blood glucose levels for people with diabetes.
An ongoing innovative research of a new Smart Lens by Jin Shang, a professor of biochemical engineering at the University of Western Ontario is a contact lens that changes color when sugar levels change in the blood.
Diabetes is a huge and growing problem affecting one in every 19 people on the planet. It is a daily struggle for people with diabetes to keep their blood sugar levels under control. Those suffering from diabetes need to draw blood to check sugar levels regularly.
Uncontrolled blood sugar puts people at risk and can lead to dangerous complications including damage to eyes, kidneys, and heart.
Although some people wear glucose monitors with a glucose sensor embedded under their skin, they still prick their fingers and test drops of blood throughout the day which is very painful. As a result many people with diabetes check their blood glucose less often than they should.
A smart contact lens is being tested to measure glucose levels in tears using a tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensors that are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material.
Nanoparticles implanted in contact lenses interact with glucose molecules in tears and this interaction changes the color of the lens to indicate varying sugar levels.
The lenses measure blood glucose levels through the tears, which contain the same amount of glucose as the blood. The tears move through a small perforation in the lens, which allows for the extraction of blood sugar levels. Glucose levels are measured using the same principles as continuous glucose monitors.
This new medical invention could eliminate the need to draw blood to monitor glucose.
Google has unveiled a prototype of the smart contact lens but a lot more work needs to be done to get the technology ready for everyday use.
This product could someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their disease.
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