Color-changing contact lenses

There is great news for diabetics. A revolutionary technology is on its way to help them measure blood sugar levels without drawing blood daily.

The diabetes patients may soon be able to wear contact lenses that will continuously alert them to changes in their blood sugar level by changing their colors.

Developed by biochemical engineering professor Jin Zhang at the University of Western Ontario in Hamilton near Toronto, the non-invasive technology uses extremely small nano-particles embedded into the hydrogel contact lenses.

These engineered nano-particles react with glucose molecules found in tears, causing a chemical reaction that changes their color.

These technologies have other potential applications beyond biomedical devices, including for food packaging, a statement by the university said on Thursday.

Nano-composite films can prevent food spoilage by preventing oxygen, carbon dioxide and moisture from reaching fresh meats and other foods, or by measuring pathogenic contamination. Other films can make packaging increasingly biodegradable, the statement said.
Zhang received $216,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to further develop technologies using multifunctional nanocomposites. Other CFI-funded research projects include a live-cell fluorescent laboratory for studying proteins involved in neurogenerative diseases.

The report comes days after another study, conducted by US researchers, found that drinking more than three cups of tea or coffee (regular or decaffeinated) a day appears to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Via Times of India