Advances in technology have changed how we live, work, and do business, but they could also be changing how we treat diabetes.

Specifically, new research is being conducted on how non-invasive technology could be used to gather health information about the wearer.

Gathering data with biosensors

A man named Gregory Herman, a professor at the University of Oregon, is pioneering smart contact lenses for use as medical data recorders. Researchers are working on creating a transparent contact lens that contains about 2,000 microscopic sensors that can detect various biological systems in the human body. Although a functional prototype has yet to be created, the technology exists to give us this kind of smart contact lens in the future.

A smart contact that detects blood glucose could help diabetics monitor their blood sugar levels without having to prick their fingers for a blood test every day. These biosensors would provide regular data about a person’s blood sugar levels, creating a complex map of when spikes and drops occur. These highly specialized sensors do so by sensing the changes in the acidity of peoples’ tears, which is influenced by blood glucose levels in the body.

Herman’s research has led him to believe that he could place more than 2,000 sensors in a square millimeter on a contact lens without compromising the viewer’s vision.

The sensors would transmit their data to an app that could be downloaded on the wearer’s phone.

Investing in smart technology

Investing in smart technology means looking at today’s problems and finding a solution for them using the tools we have around us. Creating smart technologies that monitor our health in minimally invasive ways could change how we treat and diagnose a variety of illnesses, in addition to diabetes.

There are many different companies currently working on biosensors, and hopefully we will be able to see the results of these efforts soon.