Corneal lenses
The history of contact lenses
- 1508
Leonardo de Vinci designs and describes several types of contact lenses. - 1632
René Descartes suggests the corneal lens. - 1801
Thomas Young develops Descartes’ idea and uses it to correct his own eyesight (a water filled glass tube a few centimetres long with the external end containing a microscopic lens) - 1827
The English astronomer Sir John Herschel suggests shaping a contact lens so that it conforms exactly to the surface of the eye. - 1887
The German glass blower F.E. Muller of Wiesbaden, produces the first surface destined to cover the eye which can be tolerated and used to see through. It is a scleral lens. (one that covers the whole eye rather than just the cornea) - 1888
A. Eugen Fick experiments with the first corneal lenses. He subsequently prefers scleral lenses; his first lenses were blown by Zeiss Optical Works in Jena, Germany. Around 1892, the Zeiss company was able to surface and polish glass contact lenses according to the prescriber’s specifications. Zeiss developed a set of diagnostic lenses with which the optometrist could perform an adjustment and order specific lenses for each individual. - 1936
William Feinbloom manufactures the first American contact lenses and introduces the use of plastic as the raw material. Rohm and Haas Co. develop PMMA, a resistant, unbreakable clear acrylic plastic used to make airplane windows. Almost all contact lenses would subsequently be made from this material. - 1960
Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim experiment with a contact lenses made from a soft plastic which absorbs water. - 1971
The first soft lens becomes available for distribution in the United States. - 1979
Arrival of the first gas permeable semi-ridgid lenses. - 1980
The first tinted soft lenses make their appearance. - 1981
The first extended wear soft lenses become available. - 1982
Bi-focal lenses (two focal lengths) become available to correct presbyopia. - 1986
Permeable extended wear lenses become available - 1987
The first disposable lenses are distributed commercially. - 1995
Single day usage disposal lenses make their appearance.
In the future!
Bionic corneal lenses
Thanks to nanotechnology, a corneal lens will allow navigating on the web, playing games and reading documents superimposed on the regular field of view, which will remain unchanged.