Contact Lens History Lesson

Contact Lens History is an intriguing matter that arouses much interest. No wonder, to be honest. People want to know what they buy, what other alternatives are possible, and what the initial springs of the contact lens history were.

There were a lot events that hastened humanity to contact lens developing. The knowledge about eyes were rather poor some 5 hundred years ago. But distinguished scientists and researches did their best. Thus they advanced the understanding of an eye and vision consequently. The first person who took interest in the modern principle of contacts was Leonardo da Vinci. A bit later Descartes  made the first attempts to improve vision. But his idea was difficult to realize because it was impossible for a person to blink with an appliance that he invented.

A lot of efforts occurred, but neither of them succeeded until 1887 when the first scleral contacts were made and inserted. Rabbits wore the lenses, then Adolf Fick himself, and finally some people volunteered to join the experiment.  The lenses made by Fick were large and very inconvenient to wear more than several hours a day. But the key step was taken and then the contact lens history got its origins. In such a way began the evolution of contacts.

In 1950 the first corneal lenses were produced, they were much smaller and the duration of wearing was extended to some 16 hours a day. But the kind of contacts had a great disadvantage that was no oxygen transmission to an eye. Then oxygen permeable lenses (RGP) were invented with solving the problem. Though lenses were still hard.

An impressive change in the contact lens history was made by Otto Wichterle who produced soft contacts. Another important launch took place in 1999 when the first silicone hydrogel were used.

Now some twenty million Americans wear contacts, above thirteen Japanese prefer contact lenses to glasses. Eye care professionals are sure that soon even more people will begin wearing lenses because there are a lot of types to any taste.

Contact lenses have made history.