Google's Life Sciences partners with Dexcom to bring miniature glucose monitor for diabetics

Google's Life Sciences division in partnership with Dexcom, a California-based company known for its diabetes-management devices, has decided to build a bandage-sized, cloud-connected sensor to help people monitor their glucose levels.

According to the Verge, the sensors will be built by DexCom, while Life Sciences will be handling the miniaturization. The device will be low cost and disposable, small, connected and able to provide real-time glucose levels.

DexCom says that its goal is nothing less than creating the new standard for monitoring and doing away with finger-stick testing. It is being designed for use with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Andrew Conrad, head of Life Sciences said in a statement that they are committed to developing new technologies that will help move health care from reactive to proactive.

Also, DexCom says the partnership will allow these devices to better utilize the data they gather in a way that should improve patient outcomes and reduce their costs. DexCom also says that the goal of its initial sensors is to provide people with more actionable information about how they can manage diabetes.

The products developed will be sold exclusively by DexCom.

Life Science's partnership with DexCom is one of two big deals it's made for glucose monitors. Last year, it made a deal with the pharmaceutical company Novartis to commercialize contact lenses that can track glucose levels.