Information about blood sugar levels, which is particularly useful for people with diabetes, could be uploaded to smartphone devices and used by doctors and patients to monitor the data almost in real time, according to a statement from Google issued when the company released its prototype in January.

Joe Jimenez, the chief executive of Novartis, acknowledged in an interview that many previous attempts to develop noninvasive glucose tests had failed, noting that the company previously tried — and failed — to develop its own glucose-monitoring contact lenses several years ago.

What makes this case different is the involvement of Google’s engineers, he said. “One of the biggest hurdles was miniaturization, and that’s one of the biggest benefits that Google X brings,” he said. “This is a set of engineers that are really doing incredible things with technology.”

While the glucose-monitoring lens has gotten most of the attention, Mr. Jimenez said he was also encouraged by another lens in development that would work much like autofocus on a camera, by helping the eye focus on near objects, then readjusting when the user looks at something far away. He said that product was not as far along in development, and that both lenses were still early in their development.

“It’s not going to happen overnight,” he said. “This will take a few years, as opposed to a few months.”