The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has granted Google a patent for a smart contact lens that can monitor user’s blood sugar levels.

The search engine giant filed for the patent in September 2012, and has after that entered into a partnership agreement with Novartis, which Alcon eye care unit will be working to commercialize Google’s technology.

The smart contact lens features miniature sensors and a micro-thin radio antenna to track glucose levels, and is able to send the information collected to a mobile device. From there, an app could beam the data directly to a care provider or family member.

Google’s smart contact lens would make it easier for diabetics to manage their condition. Instead of using a test strip and a lancing device, the smart lens would automatically read out glucose levels from a tear, making for a that much easier process.

There is still a long road ahead for Novartis to turn Google’s technology into a real-world product. We’ll get back to you as soon as we have something new to add. Stay tuned…

[Via: HitConsultant]