Google, Novartis to Develop "Smart Contact Lens" for Patients of Diabetes, Presbyopia

Google and Novartis are teaming-up to bring smart lenses into the market. The lenses will help diabetes patients monitor glucose levels.

Earlier this year, Google had unveiled the "smart lens" saying that the eyewear will revolutionize diabetes management. At that time, Google had said that it will take several years to bring the device into market.

Now, Google and the pharmaceutical giant have announced that they have entered into an agreement to develop the smart lens. Novartis' eye-care arm Alcon will work with Google X division to market the lens.

In fact, the Swiss drugmaker's chief executive, Joe Jimenez, told Reuters that the new technology will take just five years to be commercially available.

"This isn't going to happen overnight because it's a breakthrough technology. It's not months, we're probably talking about years. We would hope to be able to commercialise within about five years," Jimenez told Reuters.

The device has tiny wireless chips and a sensor embedded within two layers of soft contact lens. The lens showed that it is possible to detect glucose levels using tears and give users a real-time feedback about sugar levels in the body.

The smart lens isn't just aimed at diabetics, but also at people living with an eye-condition called presbyopia. People with presbyopia have reduced ability to focus on near objects. The smart lens will help patients by restoring their eye's ability to autofocus.

The companies haven't disclosed any details about the agreement.

"We are looking forward to working with Google to bring together their advanced technology and our extensive knowledge of biology to meet unmet medical needs," said Jimenez, according to a news release. "This is a key step for us to go beyond the confines of traditional disease management, starting with the eye."