Our knowledge of the human body is quite limited.
Christof Koch, the Chief Scientist at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, states that “we don’t even understand the brain of a worm.” Our body is filled with complex structures and systems like the brain, but we lack complete knowledge in how these systems actually function.
This places huge limits on our current healthcare’s effectiveness.
A lack of knowledge of the inner workings of our body leads to a decrease in the efficacy of treatment. With more data on biological occurrences, more impactful methods of treating health problems can be developed.
That’s where Verily comes in.
Engineering Medical Breakthroughs
Verily is a project first created at Google-X that aims to use technology to make healthcare 10x more impactful. Chemists, engineers, and computer scientists come together at Verily to create innovative technologies.
The combined brainpower of numerous experts created technologies like Verily’s smart contact lens, which utilizes miniature sensors to create a contact lens that automatically adjusts itself to the user’s needs.
Not only does the lens correct itself, but it can also track the eye’s biomarkers and take its measurements. The ability to quickly gather accurate data about the eye is huge in helping us understand how to treat eye diseases like cataracts.
The technology is already remarkable, but the possible impact is even more astounding. With the potential to remedy the vision of those impacted with conditions like presbyopia (farsightedness due to loss of elasticity in the eye’s lens), Verily’s lens can help correct the vision of over 1.8 billion people. Crazy, isn’t it?
But that’s not all.
They’re also making huge strides in combating diabetes through making glucose sensors smaller and cheaper. Specifically, they’re focusing on improving a technology called a continuous glucose monitor, or CGM.
Those with Type 2 diabetes often keep close track of their blood glucose levels to ensure that they can control their diabetes. Currently, the cheapest and most widespread method of monitoring blood glucose levels is with finger sticks, where blood is drawn from a patient and tested by a machine that returns the level of glucose in the blood.
Finger sticks are inconvenient and often not performed frequently enough to know when to begin taking action against diabetes. In contrast, a CGM returns a continuous, accurate flow of data regarding blood sugar levels, making it much easier to watch out for warning signs of diabetes.
Verily has been able to make these CGMs much smaller, integrating miniature sensors onto an adhesive patch. This makes glucose monitoring much less of a hassle while providing more frequent and accurate readings of blood glucose levels.
If two amazing, high-impact solutions wasn’t enough, Verily also designed Liftware, a device that allows those with tremors and limited arm mobility to eat independently.
The technology incorporates sensors in its handle that detect hand motions, utilizing a computer to identify movements that were unintended by the user. If a tremor is detected, motors in the device move the eating utensil in the opposite direction of the tremor, allowing the food on the utensil to remain balanced.
Verily is doing everything from revolutionizing optometry to helping those with mobility restrictions eat independently. And these are only three of their many other projects; they’ve developed countless other amazing innovations, like nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems and automatic support systems for COVID-19 frontline healthcare works. Verily is making huge strides in both increasing our understanding of our body and helping remedy issues with the body.
Verily is Impacting Millions.
Solutions like their smart contact lens were thought to be impractical and difficult to create. It wasn’t even known if it was possible to develop the technology.
But Verily was successful in creating such innovations and continues to develop high-impact technologies.
Verily is an example of a successful moonshot company. Moonshot companies have ideas that seem incredulous and borderline impossible. But if they work out, their solutions impact millions.
Broken off from Google X and now operating under Google’s parent company Alphabet, Verily continues to drive forward the future of medical technology through bringing the greatest minds in biology, chemistry, computer science, and engineering together to create solutions with the potential to change the world.
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A bit about me — I’m a 17-year old who’s really into disruptive technologies, primarily artificial intelligence. If you liked this article or want to talk about interesting deep learning/machine learning projects, research papers, or ideas, message me through my LinkedIn , Instagram, or e-mail (ayan.aji.nair_AT_gmail_DOT_com)! You can also get updates on cool projects of mine and new articles I write through my monthly newsletter — subscribe here!
