When was contact lenses invented

Further development progressed over the next decades with mixtures of blown glass and plastic. By , contact lenses were made successfully of plastic and designed to cover the eye's cornea only. These early hard lenses were composed of a non-porous plastic material called polymethyl methacrylate PMMA. PMMA hard lenses were not gas-permeable, so they were fitted to move with each blink. This allowed oxygen-carrying tears to move under the lens and keep the cornea healthy.

Properly fitted, corneal PMMA contact lenses could be worn for 16 hours or more. Advancement in manufacturing techniques and fitting expertise among eye doctors led to an increased appeal for hard plastic contact lenses throughout the s and s. Chemists Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim invented the first hydrophilic "water-loving" hydrogel soft contact lens material. Adaption of the product continued throughout the s and 80s, with American and British manufacturers pioneering the most development.

Soft contact lenses were introduced in , reducing the popularity of more rigid PMMA lenses. Kevin Touhy, an English optical technician, was sanding down a plastic lens when the scleral part of the lens fell off.

The remaining material was only enough to cover the cornea, and Touhy decided to try wearing it himself. Remarkably, the far smaller lens was still able to remain in place whilst looking around and blinking.

In , chemists Wichterle and Lim were able to refine the process of casting hydrogel. This resulted in soft, hydrophilic contact lenses that were much more comfortable than their hard plastic counterparts. The early days of soft contact lenses presented a whole host of new problems. The high water content made them extremely difficult to handle, and the optical quality was worse than hard plastic lenses that were produced later. After almost a decade of improvements, Bionite soft lenses were made available in the United Kingdom.

Unlike hard contact lenses they could be worn throughout the day by most users with relative comfort. Food and Drug Administration to sell their soft hydrogel lenses. They proved to be incredibly popular, helping to kickstart the modern age of contact lenses.

Over time, the hydrogel framework for contact lenses was expanded and improved upon. In , gas permeable extended wear lenses were released. Gas permeable GP lenses are made of firm, durable plastic that transmits oxygen.

Because they have no water content, GP lenses are less likely to harbour bacteria than soft contacts. These soft lenses overcame hygiene problems by simply allowing the user to throw them away after use. The disposable contact lens was a huge success and remains the most popular type to this day. Around , the first corneal lens was born. It allowed more oxygen to reach the eye so that it could be worn for more extended periods. These lenses became the new norm. The hydrogel was first invented in and used in contact lenses for the first time in the s.

This was ground-breaking because the lenses were now hydrated all day long and would allow five times more oxygen to reach the eye. Gas Permeable extended wear contact lenses were created in , and disposable soft contact lenses in Silicone hydrogel contact lenses were introduced in and are still the most popular material for this product.