When Were Contact Lenses Invented?

Many people today wear contact lenses and have become comfortable with this product that is placed on the eyeball to help correct vision problems. For several decades, contact wearers have become knowledgeable about the types of contacts available, and have moved from the first glass contacts to the flexible extended-wear version today.

But most of these users have no idea how the contact lens came about. Nor do they know who was responsible for inventing the first in-the-eye lens.

History records that such diverse characters as inventor/artist Leonardo Da Vinci and philosopher/mathematician Descartes made some effort to apply science to the field of vision correction. First tried on lab animals, contact lens were tried by a man named Fick in the late 19th century. These first, heavy lenses were not meant to be in the eye for a long period of time. But they did open the door for future improvements.

Eventually developers were able to manufacture a smaller lens that fit only over a portion of the eye. About 50 years ago, the first lens was made that allowed oxygen to flow through the material, leading to more comfort for the wearer and to a much healthier situation for the eye.

History also shows that about 10 years ago, silicone and moisture-retention moved contact lenses to a whole new level. This has pushed contact-lens use to about 10 percent of the American public, with some other countries also having millions using contact lenses.

Other historical records include the name of an astronomer from England, John Herschel. He reportedly developed a lens that was essentially molded to fit the eye. This takes the invention of the contact lens back about 60 years from the efforts recorded by Fick and Muller.

In the 1930s, an optometrist in New York developed a lens that had both glass and plastic in its construction. The glass portion fit over the cornea of the eye, making for a clear line of vision, while a softer material was used on the outer portion to help it stay on the eyeball comfortably.

A few years later another medical professional in the eye-care field developed a lens that was made entirely of plastic material, yet gave the wearer reasonably clear vision. Further developments in the history of contact lenses continued in late 1940s and early 1950s, as scientists and doctors tried to improve the comfort and fit of the lens.

There are probably two distinct pieces needed to answer the question, When were contact lenses invented. Many would point to the 1820s and 1830s as a time when glass lenses were placed into the eye instead of using framed glasses. But for many these were only miniature versions of the spectacle lens.

The second major step in contact-lens invention came with the more recent development of the plastic and/or silicone-based lens that has allowed users to keep the lens in the eye for extended periods.

The invention of the contact lens could well be placed in the 16th century with Da Vinci, a century later with Descartes, or in the 19th century with Herschel. Then again millions would consider the 20th century plastic lens the beginning of contact lens “history.”

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