| 1508 |
Leonardo da Vinci sketches and describes several forms of contact lenses |
|
| 1632 |
Rene Descartes of France suggests the corneal contact lens |
|
| 1801 |
Thomas Young develops Descartes' idea -- a quarter-inch-long, water-filled glass tube, the outer end containing a microscopic lens -- and uses it to correct his own vision |
|
| 1827 |
English astronomer Sir John Herschel suggests grinding a contact lens to conform exactly to the eye's surface
|
|
| 1887 |
Glassblower F.E. Muller of Wiesbaden, Germany, produces the first eye covering designed to be seen through and tolerated.
|
|
| 1888 |
Two independent researchers, A. Eugen Fick, a Swiss physician, and Paris optician Edouard Kalt, almost simultaneously report using contact lenses to correct optical defects.
|
|
| 1929 |
Joseph Dallos, a Hungarian physician, perfects methods of taking molds from living eyes so that lenses can be made to conform more closely to individual sclera.
|
|
| 1936 |
William Feinbloom, a New York optometrist, fabricates the first American-made contact lenses and introduces the use of plastic.
|
|
| 1945 |
The American Optometric Association (AOA) formally recognizes the growing contact lens field by specifying contact lens fitting as an integral part of the practice of optometry
|
|
| 1950 |
Dr. George Butterfield, an Oregon optometrist, designs a corneal lens, the inner surface of which follows the eye's shape instead of sitting flat.
|
|
| 1960 |
Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim experiment with contact lenses made of a soft, water-absorbing plastic they developed.
|
|
| 1971 |
The soft lens became available for commercial distribution in the United States.
|
|
| 1978 |
The first toric contact lens was approved for distribution in the United States.
|
|
| 1979 |
The first rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens made of co-polymers PMMA and silicone became available for commercial distribution. Many silicone-acrylate lenses are now available.
|
|
| 1980 |
A tinted daily wear soft lens became available for commercial distribution.
|
|
| 1981 |
Extended wear soft lenses became available for commercial distribution.
|
|
| 1982 |
Bifocal daily wear soft contact lenses became available for commercial distribution
|
|
| 1983 |
The first tinted RGP lens became available for commercial distribution.
|
|
| 1986 |
An extended wear RGP lens became available for commercial distribution.
|
|
| 1987 |
Disposable soft contact lenses became available for commercial distribution; a soft contact lens to change eye color became available for commercial distribution; first multipurpose lens care product made available for commercial distribution.
A new formulation of fluorosilicone acrylate material for RGP lenses became available for commercial distribution.
|
|
| 1991 |
Planned replacement contact lenses now available on the market.
Daily-wear two-week replacement lenses now available on the market.
|
|
| 1992 |
Disposable tinted contact lenses available on the market.
|
|
| 1995 |
Daily disposable lenses available on the market; RGP lenses with low silicone content / high Dk fluorosilicone acrylates became available.
|
|
| 1996 |
First disposable lenses using ultra-violet absorber are available in the U.S.
|