A brief history of contact lenses
The contact lens predates the vacuum cleaner and radio broadcasting. Believe it or not, a functional glass lens that fit over the entire eye was manufactured some two decades before the common tea bag was developed.
Those lenses of old weren't anything you'd want to sleep in or wear for days at a time. They also wouldn't have provided the comfort of modern contact lenses. Keep reading to discover how far back the history of contacts goes and how ancient ideas morphed into the lenses you know and love today.
Introduction to the history of contacts
As early as the 1500s, a few elite thinkers documented the basic idea of contact lenses. It would take almost four centuries for those ideas to develop into actual products and more decades before modern contacts hit the market.
Leonardo da Vinci and the first concepts
Scholars debate whether da Vinci can be credited with the first concept of the contact lens. The debate stems from drawings and writings in da Vinci's collection, including Manuscript D Folio 3V and Manuscript D Folio 7V.
A cursory review seems to indicate that da Vinci was writing about refractive power and how to correct it or impact it. However, in 2003, a French ophthalmologist named Robert Heitz theorized that the images and writings were actually da Vinci's speculations about how images formed in the optic nerve.
Even if da Vinci didn't specifically conceptualize the contact lens, however, his theories about how the eye worked were certainly ahead of his time.
Rene Descartes, another thinker ahead of his time, also may have come up with very early ideas associated with the contact lens. He came up with the idea of putting a lens on a tube to correct vision issues.
Key milestones in contact lens development
The story from the rough but impressive drawings of da Vinci to the technology-imbued modern contact lens is a long one. Don't worry. The rest of this article takes a SparkNotes-style approach to the topic — starting with this short and scannable look at key milestones in contact lens history through the years.
Thomas Young and the theory of astigmatism
Critical to the development of modern contacts is the understanding that the shape — the curve — of the lens impacts the vision. The theory of astigmatism helped develop that understanding.
Thomas Young is credited with developing this important theory. Here's the 411 on Young:
- He was born in 1773 as a Quaker.
- He was a child prodigy, accomplishing feats such as mastering five languages before well into his teen years.
- He was only 28 years old when his interest in ophthalmology led him to research astigmatism and theorize that cornea (or eye lens) shape caused the condition. This was in 1801.
- He's also credited with confirming the wave theory of light and translating the Rosetta stone.
Glass and early contact lens materials
Technology might seem to move at the speed of light today — is the game console or computer you bought last week even still relevant? But things moved a bit slower in the past, so it was another 86 years after Young's astigmatism research before an actual contact lens hit the market.
Early contact lenses were made of glass. The glass was blown — in much the same manner as you might see in an artisan showroom but on a smaller level. It also covered the entire eye.
As you might imagine, early glass contact lenses were incredibly uncomfortable. These were not the overnight disposables you know today — people couldn't even wear them longer than 1 or 2 hours at a time.
The birth of modern contact lenses
In the proverbial blink of an eye, another 50 years passed in the history of contact lenses. In the 1930s, a scientist named William Feinbloom used plastic to create a contact lens.
Feinbloom's lenses were made of glass and plastic. They were scleral lenses, which meant they were designed to allow gas to pass through. The outside of these glass lenses had a plastic rim that rested on the eye. While not nearly as comfortable as today's lenses, they were certainly more comfortable than the large glass lenses from the century before.
The pace picks up for contact lens history around this time. It only takes another decade before Kevin Tuohy patents a design for lenses that only cover the cornea. These lenses were made entirely of plastic.
Advancements in contact lens technology
Tuohy's patent launched a fast climb up the corrective eyewear mountain. Soft lenses, overnight lenses, and disposable lenses would be introduced within a few decades.
Here's a look at some of the most important points in contact lens technology development from the early '70s through the early 21st century.
Introduction of rigid gas-permeable (RGP) lenses
The first RGP lenses were introduced to the market in the 1970s. This marked a move from PMA plastic to silicon.
Silicon allows more oxygen to flow through the lens to the cornea. This supported improved comfort over previous lens types. Do you see a pattern forming? The quest for a better contact lens has always been one that balanced comfort with vision correction!
Another benefit of RGP lenses is that they can be worn longer due to the better flow of oxygen. Throughout the end of the 20th century and into the 21st century, contact manufacturers have continued to spend R&D money on developing improved gas-permeable rigid lenses.
Disposable and extended-wear lenses
Soft contact lenses actually date back to the 1950s. A chemist named Otto Wichterle is credited with creating the first soft lenses. Again, comfort was a big benefit of this development.
It took a few decades for these lenses to be marketed to customers, but by 1981, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved some soft contact lenses to be worn overnight. For the first time, lens wearers could flop into bed and drift off to dreamland without going through their contact routine in a nearby bathroom first.
Six years later, disposable soft contact lenses hit the market. If the first century of contact lens development chased comfort as much as vision correction, more recent trends in manufacturing have catered to convenience too.
Innovations in customization and specialty lenses
Discreet vision correction, comfort, and convenience — these are all things the early pioneers of contact lenses and modern manufacturers considered. Today, technology has expanded considerations for what contact lenses might do for their wearers.
Smart contact lenses
In a world where the Internet of Things increasingly surrounds consumers, the thought of a contact lens that gathers, analyzes, and provides data might sound probable. And that's because it is.
Numerous smart contact lens products are in development. However, it's likely to be a while before the average near-sighted Joe is sporting lenses that could have been in a James Bond movie.
As of 2023, only one smart contact lens product is on the market. This product uses sensors and other technology to measure pressure in the eye to provide diagnostic help in identifying glaucoma cases.
Drug-releasing contact lenses
For many people, applying eye drops is an unpleasant and even frustrating task. As a medicinal tool, eye drops have been around for centuries. However, they aren't as consistent or reliable as one might like. For example, it's difficult to ensure that an exact amount of medication is administered or that it all makes it into the eye.
Imagine if medication could be released from contact lenses, though. Slow-release technology could ensure that users receive the right dose of medication into the eye without having to stop life to deal with drops.
Actually, you don't have to imagine this scenario, because it's not something to look forward to in the future. Drug-releasing contact lenses have already been developed, which means your vision correction prescription may not be the only script you get for lenses in the future.
Contact lenses: past, present, future
From a possible science daydream in da Vinci's journal to modern visual corrective devices, contacts have come a long way. And the innovations are just getting started. The contacts of the future will likely be as different from today's disposables as soft contacts are from the first glass lenses.
To find out more about what modern contacts are available today, find the brand your eye care professional recommends in our selection.
FAQs
When were contact lenses first invented?
While various scientists and thinkers conceptualized ideas related to contact lenses throughout history, it wasn't until the late 19th century that someone developed an actual lens that fit on the eye.
Who is credited with the invention of modern soft contact lenses?
Otto Wichterle, who was a chemist, created the first soft contact lenses. They were made from soft plastic and were water-absorbent.
What were the earliest materials used for contact lenses?
The earliest contact lenses weren't anything like the lenses used today. They were made of thick blown glass. They had to be worn over the entire eye and were quite uncomfortable.
How have contact lenses evolved to improve comfort and oxygen permeability?
Throughout the 20th century, contact developments to improve oxygen permeability and comfort included:
- Changes in materials, including a move from glass to plastic to silicone and other materials
- Changes in how the lenses fit on the eye, including modern lenses which only cover part of the eye
- The development of soft contact lenses
What are the latest innovations in contact lens technology?
Currently, manufacturers are working on a variety of innovations, including smart contact lenses that have embedded technology. The FDA is also reviewing drug-releasing contact lenses that might make it easier for individuals to receive eye medication.