Alcon teams up with Google
Sunday, August 3 2014 | 00 h 00 min | News
Novartis Pharmaceuticals, through its eye care subsidiary, Alcon, recently entered into a licencing agreement with Google to use its smart lens technology for medical purposes.
The objective of the agreement is to combine Google’s advances in the miniaturization of electronics with Novartis’ pharmaceuticals and medical device expertise.
In a media release, the Swiss group said that this agreement could “transform eye care” and address health issues in a non-traditional way. Novartis is focused on two patient groups: people with diabetes and people with presbyopia.
Smart lenses could be used to manage diabetes by providing a continuous measurement of the body’s glucose levels, which would be an ideal replacement for the famous “daily injections.” This could be achieved by measuring the eye’s lachrymal fluid level.
Smart lenses could also restore the eye’s natural focus, for example, thus helping people living with presbyopia who can no longer read without glasses.
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