Transformation in Healthcare: Google’s Smart Contact Lenses Actuated by Millimeter Waves

In 2014, Google partnered with Novartis to develop smart lenses that measure blood sugar levels in tears.

This could ease the lives of hundreds of millions of people suffering from diabetes, people who have to prick their fingers multiple times per day to get their glucose levels.

However, the project was closed in 2018 without making any sufficient success in this field.

Thanks to our collaboration with David from xleaks7, we spotted Google’s PATENT justifying that the tech-giant has been continuously working on developing smart lenses that solve different problems.

More details below.

The Problem the Patent Tries to Solve

The patent addresses the problem of adjusting the focal point of smart contact lenses in real-time to enhance vision for users, particularly for those with vision impairments like presbyopia and myopia.

Traditional contact lenses lack dynamic focusing capabilities and can be triggered unintentionally by bright lights or may be inconsistent, making it challenging for users to view objects at varying distances clearly.

The patent describes a system that uses millimeter electromagnetic waves to detect a user’s gaze and actuate the focus system of a smart contact lens.

The system includes user equipment (such as a smartphone) and the smart contact lens, which communicate wirelessly to adjust the lens‘s focus based on the user’s visual needs.

Benefits

• Enhanced Vision Correction: Dynamically adjusts focus to accommodate various distances, improving vision for users with conditions like presbyopia and myopia

• Integration with Existing Devices: Utilizes hardware already present in modern devices like smartphones, eliminating the need for additional equipment

• Accurate Focus Adjustment: Reduces the risk of accidental focus changes through precise control using millimeter waves

• Can work without battery: The contact lens circuitry can be either passive, harnessing energy from electromagnetic waves, or active, using a battery

Key Points

1. Gaze Detection and Focus Actuation: The patent involves detecting a user’s gaze and using millimeter electromagnetic waves to control the focus system of a smart contact lens
2. Components of the System: The system includes a smart contact lens with transceiver, logic, and memory circuitry, and user equipment (UE) with millimeter-wave compatible wireless-communication hardware
3. Stored User Data: The lens can store information about the user’s eyesight, such as prescription details and any medical conditions affecting vision
4. Focus Manager Application: The contact lens has a focus manager application stored in its memory, which directs focus adjustments based on received signal
5. User Equipment (UE): The UE (e.g., smartphone) has a complementary focus assistant manager application that works with the contact lens to optimize focus
6. Smart Contact Lens Design: The contact lens includes mechanisms like saline-filled or polymer gel bladders to change the focal point when stimulated electrically or magnetically
7. Data Exchange: Parameters for optimal focus adjustment are exchanged between the UE and the contact lens, ensuring the system adapts to the user’s needs and the lens‘s capabilities

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