History of Contact lenses: For those who may be curios
Contact Lenses Timeline:
1508: Leonardo da Vinci sketches and describes several forms of contact lenses.
1632: Rene Descartes of France suggests the corneal contact lens.
1801: Thomas Young develops Descartes' idea -- a quarter-inch-long, water-filled glass tube, the outer end containing a microscopic lens -- and uses it to correct his vision.
1827: English astronomer Sir John Herschel suggests grinding a contact lens to conform exactly to the eye's surface.
1887: Glassblower F.E. Muller of Wiesbaden, Germany, produces the first eye covering designed to be seen through and tolerated.
1888: Two independent researchers, A. Eugen Fick, a Swiss physician, and Paris optician Edouard Kalt, almost simultaneously report using contact lenses to correct optical defects.
1929: Joseph Dallos, a Hungarian physician, perfects methods of taking molds from living eyes so that lenses can conform more closely to individual sclera.
1936: William Feinbloom, a New York optometrist, fabricates the first American-made contact lenses and introduces the use of plastic.
1945: The American Optometric Association (AOA) formally recognizes the growing contact lens field by specifying contact lens fitting as an integral part of optometry practice.
1950: Dr. George Butterfield, an Oregon optometrist, designs a corneal lens, the inner surface of which follows the eye's shape instead of sitting flat.
1960: Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim experiment with contact lenses made of a soft, water-absorbing plastic they developed.
1971: The soft lens became available for commercial distribution in the United States.
1978: The first toric contact lens was approved for distribution in the United States.
1979: The first rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens made of co-polymers PMMA and silicone became available for commercial distribution. Many silicone-acrylate lenses are now available.
1980: A tinted daily wear soft lens became available for commercial distribution.
1981: Extended-wear soft lenses became available for commercial distribution.
1982: Bifocal daily wear soft contact lenses became available for commercial distribution.
1983: The first tinted RGP lens became available for commercial distribution.
1986: An extended-wear RGP lens became available for commercial distribution.
1987: Disposable soft contact lenses became available for commercial distribution; and a contact lens to change eye color for commercial distribution; and first multipurpose lens care product, A new formulation of fluorosilicone acrylate material for RGP lenses became available for commercial distribution.
1991: Planned replacement contact lenses now available on the market.Daily-wear two-week replacement lenses now available on the market.
1992: Disposable tinted contact lenses available on the market.
1995: Daily disposable lenses available on the market; RGP lenses with low silicone content / high Dk fluorosilicone acrylates became available.
1996: First disposable lenses using ultra-violet absorber are available in the U.S.
1998: First multifocal disposable soft lenses available.
1999 New generation extended wear soft lenses introduced
Author: John Dreyer Optometrist Bsc(Hons), MCOPTOM, DipCLP Created: 3 Jun 2016, Last modified: 31 Jan 2022
1508: Leonardo da Vinci sketches and describes several forms of contact lenses.
1632: Rene Descartes of France suggests the corneal contact lens.
1801: Thomas Young develops Descartes' idea -- a quarter-inch-long, water-filled glass tube, the outer end containing a microscopic lens -- and uses it to correct his vision.
1827: English astronomer Sir John Herschel suggests grinding a contact lens to conform exactly to the eye's surface.
1887: Glassblower F.E. Muller of Wiesbaden, Germany, produces the first eye covering designed to be seen through and tolerated.
1888: Two independent researchers, A. Eugen Fick, a Swiss physician, and Paris optician Edouard Kalt, almost simultaneously report using contact lenses to correct optical defects.
1929: Joseph Dallos, a Hungarian physician, perfects methods of taking molds from living eyes so that lenses can conform more closely to individual sclera.
1936: William Feinbloom, a New York optometrist, fabricates the first American-made contact lenses and introduces the use of plastic.
1945: The American Optometric Association (AOA) formally recognizes the growing contact lens field by specifying contact lens fitting as an integral part of optometry practice.
1950: Dr. George Butterfield, an Oregon optometrist, designs a corneal lens, the inner surface of which follows the eye's shape instead of sitting flat.
1960: Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim experiment with contact lenses made of a soft, water-absorbing plastic they developed.
1971: The soft lens became available for commercial distribution in the United States.
1978: The first toric contact lens was approved for distribution in the United States.
1979: The first rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens made of co-polymers PMMA and silicone became available for commercial distribution. Many silicone-acrylate lenses are now available.
1980: A tinted daily wear soft lens became available for commercial distribution.
1981: Extended-wear soft lenses became available for commercial distribution.
1982: Bifocal daily wear soft contact lenses became available for commercial distribution.
1983: The first tinted RGP lens became available for commercial distribution.
1986: An extended-wear RGP lens became available for commercial distribution.
1987: Disposable soft contact lenses became available for commercial distribution; and a contact lens to change eye color for commercial distribution; and first multipurpose lens care product, A new formulation of fluorosilicone acrylate material for RGP lenses became available for commercial distribution.
1991: Planned replacement contact lenses now available on the market.Daily-wear two-week replacement lenses now available on the market.
1992: Disposable tinted contact lenses available on the market.
1995: Daily disposable lenses available on the market; RGP lenses with low silicone content / high Dk fluorosilicone acrylates became available.
1996: First disposable lenses using ultra-violet absorber are available in the U.S.
1998: First multifocal disposable soft lenses available.
1999 New generation extended wear soft lenses introduced
Author: John Dreyer Optometrist Bsc(Hons), MCOPTOM, DipCLP Created: 3 Jun 2016, Last modified: 31 Jan 2022