Tracing The History Of Contacts

Many of us, believe that wearing contact lenses is a a relatively new concept. However the history of contacts goes way back. In fact the journey of contact lenses is as old as 500 years.

It was in the year 1508, when Leonardo Da Vinci introduced the general principle of contact lenses for the very first time for mankind. At that time Da Vinci first mentioned the placement of lenses directly onto the eyes.

Then, more than a century later- in the year 1636, René Descartes proposed another idea. He proposed a glass tube filled with liquid to be placed in direct contact with the cornea for better vision.

However when it comes to the modern contact lenses, the first such instrument was introduced in the year 1888 only. The credit to this goes to a physiologist from Switzerland named AE Fick. Fick developed a method of taking molds from the eye, to build lenses that would fit perfectly. The early lenses of those days were made up of glass so they were not comfortable for the eyes. When worn for longer period of time they were even harmful to the eyes.

Then the real breakthrough came in the 1930s. This decade saw the American scientists producing the first plastic lenses. These lenses were made up of polymethyl methacrylate. However these lenses also had their share of problems.

These new plastic lenses were similar to their predecessors made of glass as they also covered the eye completely. As a result these lenses restricted the supply of oxygen to the eyes.

The year 1947 witnessed the invention of PMMA corneal lenses by an American Kevin Tuohy. This lens only covered the cornea instead of the whole eye. Therefore these lenses came to be known as corneal lenses. They were very similar to the lenses that we call the 'hard contact lenses' today.

One major disadvantage of these lenses was that they did not allow the transmission of oxygen through the lens to the conjunctiva and cornea. This was found to be a cause of various adverse clinical effects.

However the period between 1970s to 1990s, witnessed development of a better solution in the field. It was in the form of a range of lenses made of oxygen-permeable but rigid materials. The period also saw the invention of soft lenses made of hydrogel that were more comfortable to use than the hard lenses.

Also during this period the polymers from which soft lenses are manufactured were improved. This allowed increased oxygen permeability.

Then in the year 1999, an important development was made. It was the launch of the first silicone hydrogels into the market. This new material provided the benefits of silicone with a high level of oxygen permeability.

This history of contacts is laden with the contribution of the above mentioned great inventors, who helped their fellow humans by inventing the wonderful contact lens.

Contact Lenses