Google embarks on contact lenses for diabetics

Google has been working on smart contact lenses embedded with sensors "so small they look like bits of glitter" and an antenna "thinner than a human hair," Cnet News reported.

The lenses aren't being developed to give people super-human sight or cast the Internetover their field of view - rather, they could potentially help diabetics monitor their glucose levels.

Google announced Thursday that it's been working on the secret project at its Google[x] research lab. Not only has it developed prototypes of these smart contact lenses, but it's also done multiple clinical research studies, met with the US Food and Drug Administration, and is looking for potential partners to bring the product to market.

"We're now testing a smart contact lens that's built to measure glucose levels in tears using a tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor that are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material," the project co-founders Brian Otis and Babak Parviz wrote in a blog post. "We're testing prototypes that can generate a reading once per second."

Diabetes is said to be one of the fastest growing diseases in the world. According to Google, it affects one in 19 people around the globe. In order to keep blood sugar levels in check, diabetics must give themselves finger prick blood tests throughout the day.

These tests can be time consuming and painful. But they're crucial -- if glucose levels get out of control, diabetics risk damage to their eyes, kidneys, and heart.