Google’s plans to develop smart contact lenses, designed to foster health benefits and aid vision, have progressed after the firm outlined a partnership with pharmaceutical company Novartis to take the project forward.

The search engine and technology giant announced plans to create the smart lenses earlier in January, with the devices seeking to monitor blood sugar levels through the glucose contained in tears.

The technology will feature an antenna smaller than a strand of human hair in order to monitor the levels, with the invention potentially opening up new methods of self-management for chronic diseases such as diabetes, as well as other tracking uses applicable to fitness.

The use of the lenses could also help to bring down costs of current methods of condition management over time.

With a camera potentially being used in the lenses, people’s vision could be corrected much like auto-focuses achieved on digital cameras. This could in turn create a new realm of interactive opportunities for the visually impaired, especially in the leisure areas of sport participation and health and fitness.

The plans for the lens come as an extension of Google’s vision to expand its footprint in the healthcare and fitness markets, with the company already making steps to secure a foothold in the industry with its Google Glass and Google Fit offerings.

Novartis's Alcon eye-care division will seek to license and commercialise the smart lens, with the company hoping to have a prototype available for research and development reviews early in 2015.