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Alphabet Unit Halts Glucose-Detecting Contact Lens Project (reuters.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the put-on-hold dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report from Reuters: Alphabet's life sciences division Verily said on Friday that it was putting on hold one of its oldest and highest-profile projects, a smart contact lens designed to help monitor sugar levels. The project, started in 2014, aimed to help diabetics better manage their blood sugar levels by embedding sensors on a contact lens to monitor the glucose levels in their tears. In a blog update, Verily cited here insufficient consistency in the correlation between tear glucose and blood glucose concentrations to support the requirements of a medical device. On the bright side, Alphabet and Verily said they would continue to work on two other "Smart Lens" projects -- one for presbyopia (far-sightedness), and another to improve sight following cataract surgery.

43 comments

  1. Verily I say unto you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We art Google, and we canceleth all our projects.

    1. Re: Verily I say unto you by schure · · Score: 1

      Problem is the public doesn't think of Google as an ordinary agglomeration of human beings anymore...

  2. presbyopia != far-sightedness (exactly) by starless · · Score: 3

    one for presbyopia (far-sightedness)

    It's a bit over-simplyfying things to refer to presbyopia as far-sightedness.
    Presbyopia is the loss, with age, of the ability to accommodate or change focus.
    The net result may be the loss of ability to focus on nearby objects, but simple far-sightedness would be "hyperopia"

  3. Re:Google cancelling a project by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Maybe they should move the market research step earlier in the cycle.

  4. Thank you for trying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Medical research is not cheap and the regulatory hurdles are huge.

    1. Re: Thank you for trying by Xarin · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Not sure what the news is. Company comes up with an idea, company researches idea, company obtains hard data, company analyzed data and finds out hypothesis is wrong. Repeat with a new hypothesis. If they went to market knowing it would not work, that would be an issue. Thank you for doing the right thing.

    2. Re: Thank you for trying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except that they marketed it first, before it even existed. It was frequently used as an example of how awesome they are.
      Turns out, they aren't that awesome after all.

      While over-hyping your own research's potential to investors is not illegal, it is questionable behavior.

    3. Re: Thank you for trying by duckintheface · · Score: 1

      The explanation that there is a lack of correlation between glucose in tears and blood makes no sense. This is the first thing researchers would look at. If there was not a good correlation, the lens project would never have begun. There may be a problem with a correlation with *lens measured* glucose and blood glucose, but that just means that the lens measurement is wrong.

      --
      "He took a duck in the face at 250 knots." -- William Gibson, Pattern Recognition
    4. Re: Thank you for trying by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Company comes up with an idea, company researches idea, company obtains hard data, company analyzed data, snowflake tardennials are frightened they might catch diabetes, snowflake tardennials throw a tantrum, management caves in.

      FTFY

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  5. Re: Google cancelling a project by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Google is smart. They know developing product can double as market research. No doubt they have a much better understanding of the market and the hurdles than a similar company just starting on these problems.

  6. Not surprising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I worked at a bio-tech place working on various "personal" blood testers for glucose, clotting, etc; many years ago ("personal" in this sense meaning for private or doctor's office use). Even then there was lots of research into using lasers or other light sources to beam light through the skin and attempt to detect sugar concentrations in the blood that way. Not sure what the actual theory was but initial research had shown there was a measurable difference in the sensors depending on glucose levels in the blood.

    They ran into the same problem though - while you could detect changes, you couldn't get an accurate, and more importantly consistent, measurement and they ended up abandoning it.

    1. Re:Not surprising by retchdog · · Score: 1

      the "theory" is called Raman spectroscopy and it's been oversold in a bunch of bullshit pseudo-scientific products recently.

      --
      "They were pure niggers." – Noam Chomsky
  7. Presbyopia is not farsightedness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Presbyopia is age related degeneration of ability to adjust your eye's focus, typically on near objects. Farsightedness is quite different and caused by other factors.

  8. Re: I'm gay & thanks in a way - why? GAYpk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hahaha! APK rocks the trolls' world yet again https://science.slashdot.org/c... when will you dolts learn he always ends up on top and crushes you? Even moreso to ZIP and c6gunner https://hardware.slashdot.org/...

  9. Re:Trolls will always FAIL vs. "Lord of Hosts"... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In the Book of Revelation, the rebellious forces of Satan are defeated by the Heavenly Host led by Michael the Archangel during the War in Heaven. The term "Lord of Hosts" is also used in the BahÃ'Ã Faith as a title of God https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

  10. Well, that didn't start at Google anyway by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

    Parviz brought that with him to Google from his short tenure at UW, and he moved over to Amazon several years ago. When you can't claim you (or your employee, at least) invented something, it probably becomes less interesting to the Goog.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  11. Re: Idle hands = trolls' devil's workshop is why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You are mentally ill, and you need to start taking your pills instead of comparing yourself to some mythological creation.

  12. Alcohol Breathalyser, THC, and glucose. by labnet · · Score: 4, Interesting

    We use to manufacture alcohol breathalysers.. the proper ones that used used platinum cell catalysation. Alcohol in the blood has a ratio to alcohol in the breath of 2300:1. This is why law enforcement in many countries can prosecute based on breath alcohol sample because of its well established ratio to what's in your blood.
    So we were approached to do the same for 'weed' aka THC. There is a dye called Fast Blue B that changes colour in the presence of THC vapour. Well, to cut a very long and interesting story short, it turns out there is no real relation to THC in blood to breath because of the volatility difference of the molecules.
    Glucose is another dastardly hard thing to measure without going directly to blood. The holy grail of reliable non invasive glucose monitoring for diabetics is still elusive, but good on Alphabet (such a dumb name) for trying.

    --
    46137
    1. Re:Alcohol Breathalyser, THC, and glucose. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good for trying, bad for hyping...

  13. I'm not gay & thanks in a way - why? apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In your IMPERSONATIONS of me saying what you thought "makes me look bad" https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... (like now)? You did me a favor:

    1st - Hosts stop portsmash (blocking downloads of it) "You basically have to already be able to run your own evil code on a machine in order to PortSmash it." from https://www.theregister.co.uk/...

    2nd hosts MAY prevent the OTHER forms of Intel CPU weakness per ACADEMIC RESEARCH I read:

    SPECTRE "As an attempted mitigation for our JavaScript-based attack" https://spectreattack.com/spec...

    MELTDOWN "We presented Meltdown, a novel software-based attack" https://meltdownattack.com/mel...

    So like portsmash?

    Academics NEEDED LOCAL CODE (like portsmash hosts can prevent) so hosts ALSO work vs. Spectre/Meltdown!

    APK

    P.S.=> 3rd strike "yer out" - U FAIL PORTFILTERING TESTS https://yro.slashdot.org/comme... (IF hosts could DO it I'd implement it in my work & I STOP THAT ERROR) ... apk

  14. They had it coming & it's easy to do... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They do it to themselves w/ tech mistakes, impersonating me & downmod bombing me - Which I let a "lil' secret" out on how to overcome it!

    (Limited possibles of pwd's used on /. + regions code (latter's not always accurate but mostly is, not worth refining, & it works https://science.slashdot.org/c... - download the thread & IF it changes even 1 byte (same method I use to self-check my hosts code really vs. alteration/viruses etc. & it works? Resubmits begin) .

    Almost NO EFFORT (was some up front creating it - not now - I plug in where I was impersonated & let it go to work nullifying their bogusly abused wannabe 'weapon' of WEEZILS in downmods).

    WORKED LIKE A DREAM this week vs. 100's of downmods I nullified in reposts vs. them RUNNING TROLLS DRY of their "downmodpoints" wannabe 'weezil weapon', lol!

    I woke up every a.m. LAUGHING - great way to start a day.

    APK

    P.S.=> They LIKE "getting it up the poop shute" from "yours truly" (& they call ME gay? Please)... apk

  15. LOL! My dusting you? NO myth - it's fact... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My dusting you? NO myth - it's fact https://science.slashdot.org/c... & I say I'm not "lord of hosts" (but it DOES FIT) https://science.slashdot.org/c...

    * YOU LOSE, loser - & you ALWAYS WILL vs. "Lord of Hosts" (note the quotes dimwit?)

    APK

    P.S.=> Today was SUCH a GREAT DAY: I unfroze a hungup rear brake caliper (saved a truckload of $ that way), fired up my snowblower (had clogged floatbowl & stuck float) which I NEED NOW (we got HIT HARD w/ 1' of snow) + am putting in a toilet that was wrecked by a tenant of mine (not a big job, done it before) - & of course, I put in a RECORD AMOUNT of entries in hosts today (15,000 @ once) for me to STOP THREATS - how about you "idle hands are the DEVIL's WORKSHOP" loser troll that HIDES from me by UNIDENTIFIABLE ANONYMOUS posts STALKING me? Zero I bet - Score 1 zillion APK, Trolls 0 - as always, lol... apk

  16. JOB (me) from "Lawnmower Man"... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "You realize Dr. Angelo my intelligence has surpassed yours. I can't allow your fear of what you don't understand to get in the way of this work" https://science.slashdot.org/c...

    * FROM a film: "The Lawnmower Man" (JOB).

    (Since I am CERTAINLY definitely MOWING YOU DOWN - & funniest part is YOU'RE HELPING ME DO IT, lol!)

    APK

    P.S.=> "It's NOT new - I realize nothing that I've been doing is new: I haven't been tapping into new areas of the brain. I've just been awakening the MOST ANCIENT. This technology is simply a route to powers that conjurers & alchemists used CENTURIES ago. Human race lost that knowledge & now I'm reclaiming it thru https://search.slashdot.org/co... (Have Mr. McAfee TRY DENY that last link's UNDENIABLE results) ... apk

  17. Idle hands = trolls' devil's workshop is why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See my subject: Especially 2 DILDOS c6gunner (impersonated me) & blowhard ZIP https://news.slashdot.org/comm...

    * Still, I'm NOT "the Lord of Hosts" but it sure does fit on this topic!

    APK

    P.S.=> LMAO - Most especially how their OWN STUPIDITY in "trying to make me look bad" w/ lies https://linux.slashdot.org/com... & other OUTRAGEOUS BULLSHIT I'd never EVER 'cry about', & especially to WORMS like them e.g. https://science.slashdot.org/c... HAS BACKFIRED ON THEM TOTALLY, lol https://science.slashdot.org/c... (yes, there IS GOD & he's on MY SIDE, not "your God" the DEVIL, losers)... apk

  18. You BLEW IT AGAIN w/ gweihir too, lol... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: Dumb move - he KNOWS you tried to 'impersonate him'(as you do me too) https://it.slashdot.org/commen...

    * KEEP UP THE "GREAT WORK" (making me look GOOD + VINDICATING ME vs. your LIES (you can blame yourself for that too - I took a GOOD LOOK @ it & hosts DO help prevent Intel CPU attacks https://science.slashdot.org/c... ))

    See - he's one of the people here I RESPECT (Raymorris, gweihir & a few others who DO good things & KNOW THEIR STUFF to a good extent) - scumbags like YOU? I can't - nothing to respect a WEEZIL like YOU for (especially for being SO EASY TO BLOW AWAY on every front vs. your WHIMP tricks).

    APK

    P.S.=> Must be your already DULL brain is weakened even MORE trying 100's of downmods on me this week & FAILING that too - abused downmods, for me @ least, ARE EASY TO NULLIFY in your effete "wannabe weapon" - I reposted vs. EVERY ONE & I didn't even try (automated, yes I have that in place & I would LAUGH EVERY a.m. @ you FLAILING as I RAN YOU DRY of your weezil weapon too, fool). I'm sure there's roughly 4-5 of you doing it, no matter - literally takes ME no effort to dust you there too (you're LITERALLY trying to beat an Intel 4790k CPU idiots & MY CODE - you are LOSING), lol... apk

  19. Trolls will always FAIL vs. "Lord of Hosts"... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: No blasphemy intended - Imo it's the grace of God he made you trolls stupid & in MY FAVOR https://science.slashdot.org/c...

    * Again - THANK YOU for being SO DUMB you got me to look into it more thoroughly PROVING you CAN PREVENT Intel CPU attacks (Spectre/Meltdown/Portsmash) via hosts "preventative medicine"...

    (By the way, in case you hadn't realized it (since you are so damn stupid, lol)? You "teabagged" yourselves vs. me YET AGAIN, lmao... thanks!)

    APK

    P.S.=> Now, instead of OS-side "cures", I'd like to see INTEL (less so AMD but them too) FIX IT WHERE IT COUNTS - in the hardware... apk

  20. Sounds like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    computer scientists realizing that a project like this needs real scientists. I remember attending a sales pitch from a company with a simple proximity sensor that had terrible signal output; but, not to worry, since everything would be corrected in software.

  21. LMAO - you also F'd up w/ 110010001000 too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LMAO - you also F'd up w/ 110010001000 too like you did BIGTIME w/ gweihir https://news.slashdot.org/comm... - busted again, lol!

    * I may not know WHO you are (yet) but I know WHAT you are - a DISGUSTING "bitchboy" weezil but I also know 1 thing (that this all proves) - you ALWAYS do something STUPID (especially w/ gweihir https://science.slashdot.org/c... there) & GET CAUGHT!

    APK

    P.S.=> LMAO - so much for your punk ass BITCH way of trying to "discredit me" by IMPERSONATING me - what a LOSER you are (everyone knows it too, lol - how's it FEEL to have to "HIDE" like the LOSER you are? Terrible - I know how it is for PUNKS like you)... apk