Google has announced it has granted $50m to help fund the development of a new type of glucose monitor that can detect and treat the disease.
The company announced the grant in a statement on Monday, which said the project, known as Diabetes-Sensor, would “provide a breakthrough technology that could change the way diabetes is monitored and managed.”
Google said it was making the announcement at the end of a five-day program for the US and Canada to identify a suitable project for funding, and the company said it had also invited other countries to participate.
“We’ve seen the incredible work that has gone into developing this technology, and we’re delighted to be supporting the work of leading diabetes research centres and other scientists who will use this new sensor to advance the fight against diabetes,” Google said.
“The sensors we’ve created will have the potential to make diabetes tracking and management a more accurate, safer, and more efficient technology for the many millions of people with the disease.”
Google also announced a partnership with University of California, Berkeley, to develop and commercialise a new sensor that could detect the presence of diabetes.
Google said the device would have “the potential to change the ways diabetes is tracked and managed” and would be available for purchase in the US by the end, with plans to launch it in the next three years.
Google previously announced a $2m grant to support the development and development of an anti-diabetic device, which would allow doctors to prescribe insulin if they were diagnosed with diabetes.
It was unclear what the device, called the Precision Sensors, could detect and how it would work.
