Alexei Volkov
The concept of contact lenses dates back to 1508 when Leonardo da Vinci sketched the idea of manipulating vision by placing the cornea in contact with water. However, the first plastic contact lenses were not invented until the 20th century. The development of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in the 1930s paved the way for the manufacture of plastic scleral lenses. In 1936, optometrist William Feinbloom introduced a hybrid lens composed of glass and plastic, and in 1940, German optometrist Heinrich Wöhlk produced the first fully plastic lenses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of invention of plastic contact lenses | 1939, with the first fully plastic contact lenses produced by Hungarian ophthalmologist Dr. István Györffy |
| Date of invention of first soft contact lenses | 1960s, by optometrists Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lím |
| Date of invention of first disposable soft contact lenses | 1970s |
| Date of invention of first FDA-approved soft contact lenses in the US | 1971, with the Bausch + Lomb's "SofLens" brand contacts |
| Date of invention of first extended wear soft lenses | 1981 |
| Date of invention of first gas permeable extended wear lenses | 1986 |
| Date of invention of first corneal lenses | 1949 |
| Date of invention of first contact lens prototype | 1801 |
| Date of initial concept | 1505 AD or 1508 |
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What You'll Learn
Leonardo da Vinci's 1508 concept
The concept of contact lenses can be traced back to the iconic polymath, Leonardo da Vinci. In 1508, he illustrated the concept of altering corneal power by submerging one's head in a bowl of water or wearing a water-filled glass hemisphere over the eye. Though not a practical solution, da Vinci's sketches were the first known ideation of manipulating vision directly at the corneal surface.
Da Vinci's concept was a significant milestone in the history of contact lenses. While it was not a physical invention, his idea of altering corneal power laid the foundation for subsequent innovations in vision correction. Da Vinci recognised the potential for directly manipulating the cornea to improve vision. This concept was further advanced by French philosopher René Descartes in 1636, who proposed the idea of a glass tube filled with liquid placed directly on the cornea to correct vision. However, similar to da Vinci's concept, blinking was not possible with Descartes' design.
The first known physical contact lens was developed in 1887 by German glassblower F.A. Muller, who created a scleral contact lens from glass to address his own vision problems. Scleral lenses rest on the sclera, or white part of the eye, and vault over the cornea. These early glass contact lenses were heavy and covered the entire front surface of the eye, including the sclera. Due to their large size, they significantly reduced the oxygen supply to the cornea, limiting wear time to only a few hours and preventing their widespread acceptance.
The next significant advancement came in 1936 when New York optometrist William Feinbloom introduced scleral lenses made of a combination of glass and plastic. These hybrid lenses were considerably lighter and more comfortable than their predecessors. In 1948, California optician Kevin Tuohy introduced the first all-plastic "corneal" contact lenses, which covered only the cornea and more closely resembled the modern contact lenses we know today. These hard plastic lenses were made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), a non-porous plastic material. While they were not gas-permeable, they were designed to move with each blink, allowing oxygen-carrying tears to flow under the lens and maintain corneal health.
The mass appeal of hard plastic contact lenses took off in the 1950s and 1960s due to advancements in manufacturing techniques and fitting expertise. However, the biggest breakthrough in the history of contact lenses came in 1959 with the invention of the first hydrophilic hydrogel soft contact lens material by Czech chemists Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim. This discovery led to the launch of the first FDA-approved soft contact lenses in the United States in 1971.
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Early prototypes in the 19th century
The concept of contact lenses can be traced back to the early 19th century, when English scientist Thomas Young fashioned a pair of basic contact lenses based on Descartes' model. In 1801, Young used wax to affix water-filled lenses to his eyes, neutralising their refractive power, which he corrected with another pair of lenses.
In 1845, John Herschel suggested two ideas for visual correction in a footnote to the Encyclopedia Metropolitana. The first was a "spherical capsule of glass filled with animal jelly", and the second was "a mould of the cornea" that could be impressed on "some sort of transparent medium". Although Herschel never tested these ideas himself, they were later built upon by independent inventors. One of these was Hungarian physician Joseph Dallos, who perfected a method of making moulds from living eyes, allowing lenses to conform to the actual shape of the eye for the first time.
In the 1860s, German artificial glass eye maker Friedrich Adolph Müller developed Cryolite glass, which was easier to blow and gave a natural lustre to the eye. In 1868, he and his sons moved to Wiesbaden, Germany, where they rapidly gained recognition for their glass-blown artificial eyes. It is believed that the Müllers manufactured the first glass shell contact lens in 1887. However, another source claims that German ophthalmologist Adolf Gaston Eugen Fick fabricated the first successful contact lens in 1888. Fick's lenses were large and unwieldy, and could only be worn for a couple of hours at a time.
Around the same time, German scientist August Müller of Kiel was able to correct his own severe myopia with a blown-glass scleral contact lens of his own manufacture. Although there is little evidence of these lenses today, they were more convenient and comfortable than Fick's lenses. Glass-blown scleral lenses remained the only form of contact lens available for several decades.
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Development of plastic lenses in the 1930s
The development of plastic contact lenses was a significant milestone in the history of vision correction. The journey towards plastic lenses began in the 1930s with the invention of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), also known as Plexiglas. This innovative plastic material revolutionized the design of contact lenses, making them thinner, lighter, and more comfortable to wear.
Prior to the 1930s, contact lenses were primarily made from glass, which had several drawbacks. Glass lenses were heavy, unwieldy, and could only be worn for a few hours at a time. The development of PMMA in the 1930s changed this by allowing for the creation of plastic scleral lenses. These early plastic lenses were a hybrid of glass and plastic, and they opened the door for further advancements in lens design.
In 1936, optometrist William Feinbloom created the first plastic contact lenses, utilizing the newly developed PMMA. These lenses were a significant improvement over their glass counterparts, offering enhanced comfort and convenience. However, Feinbloom's lenses were still a work in progress, and the quest for fully plastic lenses continued.
It was not until 1939 that Hungarian ophthalmologist Dr. István Györffy made a groundbreaking discovery. Dr. Györffy produced the first fully plastic contact lenses, marking a significant milestone in the history of contact lens development. The following year, in 1940, German optometrist Heinrich Wöhlk built upon Feinbloom's work and created his own version of fully plastic lenses.
The development of plastic lenses in the 1930s set the stage for future innovations in contact lens technology. The creation of PMMA and the subsequent production of plastic scleral lenses paved the way for more comfortable and wearable lenses. While the early plastic lenses had their limitations, they laid the foundation for the mass appeal of contact lenses in the 1960s, as lens designs continued to evolve and improve.
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First plastic contact lenses in 1939
The history of contact lenses goes back more than 500 years, with the first documented mention of a contact lens in 1508. Leonardo da Vinci is often credited with the first conception of the idea of contact lenses in that year, in the Codex of the Eye, Manual D. In his work, da Vinci described a means of manipulating corneal power by submerging someone's entire head in a bowl of water or wearing a water-filled glass hemisphere over the eye.
The first known contact lens was developed in 1887 by German glassblower F.A. Muller. This was a scleral contact lens made from glass, which Muller created to correct his own vision problems. These lenses sat on the sclera or white part of the eye and vaulted over the cornea. In 1888, German ophthalmologist Adolf Gaston Eugen Fick fabricated the first successful afocal scleral contact lens. These lenses were large and unwieldy and could only be worn for a couple of hours at a time.
In the 1930s, polymethyl methacrylate (also known as Plexiglas) was developed, which allowed for the manufacture of thinner and more comfortable scleral lenses. In 1936, optometrist William Feinbloom introduced a hybrid lens composed of glass and plastic. The following year, it was reported that around 3,000 Americans were already wearing contact lenses.
Then, in 1939, the first fully plastic contact lens was produced by Hungarian ophthalmologist Dr. István Györffy. German optometrist Heinrich Wöhlk produced his own version of plastic lenses in 1940, based on experiments from the 1930s. These fully plastic lenses were a significant development in the history of contact lenses, as they were thinner, lighter, and more convenient than previous iterations.
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Mass appeal in the 1950s and 1960s
The mass appeal of contact lenses can be traced back to the 1950s and 1960s. The first plastic contact lenses were created in the late 1930s, and the first corneal lenses were developed in 1949. These corneal lenses were much smaller than the original scleral lenses and could be worn for up to 16 hours a day, as opposed to the 3-4 hours of previous lenses. This increased comfort, along with improving manufacturing technology, contributed to the growing popularity of contact lenses in the 1950s and 1960s.
During this time, corneal PMMA contact lenses gained widespread appeal. The development of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in the 1930s played a crucial role in the subsequent manufacture of plastic scleral lenses. These lenses could be comfortably worn for extended periods, and their mass appeal was driven by advancements in lens manufacturing techniques and the expertise of eye doctors in lens fitting.
The 1950s and 1960s also witnessed the emergence of contact lenses in the film industry, particularly in British colour horror films. Actors like Christopher Lee, famously known for his portrayal of Dracula in the 1958 film of the same name, wore contact lenses to enhance the horror and sinister gaze of their characters.
The biggest breakthrough in soft lenses occurred in 1959, when Czech chemists Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim invented the first hydrophilic ("water-loving") hydrogel soft contact lens material. This discovery led to the launch of the first FDA-approved soft contact lenses in the United States in 1971, marketed as Bausch + Lomb's "SofLens" brand. The soft lenses offered greater comfort compared to the rigid lenses, and as a result, they quickly became more popular.
The evolution of contact lenses from the 1950s to the 1960s showcases the advancements in both comfort and visual appeal, contributing to their widespread adoption and enduring popularity.
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Frequently asked questions
The first plastic contact lenses were created in 1936 by New York optometrist William Feinbloom. These were hybrid lenses made of a combination of glass and plastic.
The first fully plastic contact lenses were produced in 1939 by Hungarian ophthalmologist Dr. István Györffy.
German optometrist Heinrich Wöhlk produced his own version of plastic lenses in 1940, based on Feinbloom's work in the 1930s.
The early plastic contact lenses were scleral lenses, which sat on the white part of the eye. They were smaller and more comfortable than previous glass-blown contacts.
Plastic corneal contact lenses gained mass appeal in the 1950s and 1960s due to advances in manufacturing techniques and expertise in lens fitting.
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