How contact lenses

introduced?

• The history of contact lenses starts with the famous Italian scientist Leonardo da Vinci. He produced the first known sketches that suggested the optics of human eye could be altered by placing the cornea directly in contact with water.

Early contact lenses were heavy and that fully covers the eyes.

An American optometrist named William Feinbloom (1904-1985) introduced scleral lenses made of a combination of glass and plastic those were comparatively lighter than glass blown contacts.

In 1948, California optician Kevin Tuohy(1919-1968) introduced the fi rst contact lens that resembled modern gas permeable contact lenses. These contact lenses are called “corneal” contact lenses since they were smaller in diameter and covered only the portion of cornea

These lenses were made up of non -porous plastic material called

polymethyl methacrylate.

• The PMMA lenses could move at each blink, so oxygen carrying tears could be “pumped” under the lens to keep the cornea healthy.

The first hydrophilic or water loving hydrogel soft contact lens material is introduced by Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim in 1959.This led to the 1971 launch of first FDA approved soft ontact lenses in the united states.

Since these soft contacts provide greater level of comfort, it became more popular than hard contact lenses made of PMMA

Nowadays contact lenses are used widely as a prescription lens or as a fashionable eyewear.

The contact lenses are now available in wide range as prescription lenses, colored lenses etc.

To know more about contact lenses and to clarify your doubts, visit http://forbeseyecare.co.uk