I have watched my son struggle with his diabetes for years. The pokes. The readings. The diet management. It’s a lot to take on, as a child or an adult. Technology could change that – soon. He may be able to simply wear a contact lens to automatically take and record his glucose readings – thanks to Google.
Yes, the company has taken the Google Glass concept to a new level with a contact lens prototype designed to enhance the way we map diseases in the body and even potentially prevent them altogether.
It’s big – for medicine. It also marks one of the first medical advancements from a technology giant.
Google just announced that it found a medical partner to license its contact lens prototype. Google signed an agreement with Novartis to bring the contact lens to market.
Track, manage diseases
The contact lens aims to transform the traditional blood glucose monitoring by taking regular readings, but also connects to a mobile device allowing a user to track levels, make adjustments and share the information with their doctors.
The contact lens concept is not too far from the Jawbone Up, Nike Fitbit and other health technology we’ve talked about recently. Those devices track the sleep and steps of the user and can also measure activity level and calorie intake.
Living in Minnesota, I have become accustom to hearing about medical breakthroughs and the wonders of medicine with internationally leading organizations such as Mayo Clinic and Medtronic in my proverbial background. Minnesota has long been a medical hub.
Tech firms take lead
Google’s contact lens is just the beginning. Here are a few other ways technology is driving medical industry:
- Electronic aspirin: A new implant administers aspirin electronically at the first sign of a headache. The technology from Autonomic Technologies stimulates the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) nerve cluster. This cluster has been attributed to nasal problems, migraines and cluster headaches. A nerve stimulation device is surgically implanted in the upper gum area, where pain mainly frequents. The company has been approved to treat migraine and cluster headaches in Europe, and is waiting for the FDA to approve them for testing in the United States.
- A new ear: Technological advancement of the traditional printer have given way to the development of advanced artificial limbs. Researchers recently created a very life-like artificial ear from a 3D printer and then filled it with cow collagen and sheep cartilage cells. The product is in clinical trials and is designed to be used in transplant operations. This follows the work of other researchers that used 3D printing to create a prosthetic ear.
- Limbs with feelings: There have been many advancements to the artificial limb over the years, but none of them allowed the limbs to send back sensory information to the wearer – until now.
A new interface provides a sense of touch from 20 spots on a prosthetic hand. This provides the ability for the person to pick up items, even eggs, without crushing or dropping them.
For the business world, imagination is the only boundary. Technology allows us to imagine more and achieve more than ever before. Now you don’t have to be in medicine to change healthcare.
