Who Invented Contact Lenses?

Contact lenses are one of those things you may take for granted; but if you're one of those curious people, you may have wondered who could have come up with the crazy idea of sticking a piece of plastic in your eye so you can see better. Well, if you check into the history of contact lenses, you will find that they have really been a work in progress, and quite a few people have had a hand in coming up with the contact lenses that we know today.

Many say that the concept of contact lenses was first developed by Leonardo da Vinci, the famous scientist and inventor. He drew a lot of plans and designs for all kinds of inventions, although he was not responsible for bringing all of his ideas to reality. Even so, most people credit him as possibly being the person who had the earliest concept that was similar to contact lenses.

The first real contact lenses made were created by an optician by the name of Frick. He made these first contacts in Germany around 1887. As bizarre as it may sound, he first tested the lenses on rabbits (maybe they were the closest subjects available; or perhaps it was because they didn't complain very much). After the rabbits seemed to fare okay, Frick next tested the lenses on himself.

The first lenses weren't anything like today's lenses, of course. They were really large, and covered the entire front of the eyeball. Nowadays, the shape of the cornea holds contact lenses in place. But back then, it was simply held in place by the eyelids.

Before all of today's scientific measuring devices were invented, the original lenses had to be fitted by making a cast of each eyeball, to get the proper shape. Talk about an uncomfortable trip to the doctor! Someone decided there had to be a better way, and in the 1950's they finally invented measuring devices that avoided the need for casting.

Eventually, in the 1960s, soft contact lenses were invented in Prague, and were designed to be easy-on-the-eye and soft because they absorbed salt water, which also prevented bacteria growth and infection.

Since those early days, the new developments in contact lenses has mushroomed. Not only do we have soft contacts, but you can get disposable lenses (which can be thrown out every day, rather than having to clean them), bifocal contacts and Toric contacts for astigmatism. You can get Rigid Gas Permeable lenses (RGP), that last longer and hold a shape better. For people with really bad nearsightedness, there are implantable lenses that go inside the eye. In recent years, contacts have even been made available with lots of optional features, like wild and crazy designs, mirrored effects and scary looks for Halloween.

Contacts have an interesting history and the changes just seem to keep coming. With the thousands of varieties and tons of manufacturers who are competing for a portion of the contact lens market, it's just a matter of time before even newer, innovative ideas for vision correction with contact lenses hit the market. And to think, it all started with a rabbit!