Researchers in Australia have found glucose-monitoring contact lenses (CLs) offer a pain-free and convenient alternative to finger-prick blood testing, which could improve treatment adherence and long-term health outcomes in diabetic patients living in remote areas.

A poster by researchers from Macquarie University and Sydney Eye Specialists displayed at RANZCO 2024 explained how they searched five databases to compare glucose monitoring via tears versus blood, plus the application of nanosenors-embedded CLs with near-field communicator (NFC) capability.

Despite a lag time of 5–10 minutes in measuring tear-film glucose compared with blood glucose, researchers said glucose-monitoring CLs with NFC allow real-time data sharing via mobile devices, reducing the need for travel from remote areas and removing other healthcare barriers faced by some Indigenous patients.