In 1929, Hungarian-born Joseph Dallos perfected the method of molding lenses to fit human eyes. His pioneering work opened the door for the mass production and consumption of contact lenses. But as is the case with all inventions, they aren’t created in a void. Standing on the shoulders of giants, Dallos owed a great deal to those who came before him.

In Zurich, in 1888, Adolf Fick developed the first contact lenses that actually fit a living, human eye. Though extremely uncomfortable, they worked. A previous attempt sixteen months earlier, by a glassblower named F. E. Muller, saw the creation of a prototype lens that was tolerable at best. Nevertheless, this was a galvanizing sixteen months in terms of the future of eye care.

To be fair, both Fick and Muller were building on the work of John Herschel. The crux of his work centered on the use of animal jelly and a spherical glass mold that would attach to the human eye. His ideas would inspire Fick and Muller and would be resuscitated with the development of the disposable contact lenses.

In 1801, Thomas Young was convinced cups filled with liquid could be used to correct vision problems. Though crude, the idea was a step in the right direction. In fact, most eye care technicians and professionals consider Young the “Father of Contact Lenses.” The theoretical underpinnings of his work would inspire all the contact lens inventors that followed him.

These eccentric “eye cups” were inspired by the great philosopher and part-time inventor, Rene Descartes. Descartes’s glass tube was filled with liquid and placed directly on the eye. Of course, this made blinking problematic and relegated the glass tube to trivia. Of course, Descartes was building on the theoretical work of none other than Leonardo da Vinci. In his manual, known as the Codex of the Eye, written in 1508, he suggested altering the cornea using water. It was his inquisitive eye that spurred generations to strive towards furthering eye care solutions for mankind.

Finding disposable contact lenses that fit and don’t require the use of eye tubes is easier than you think. Forget the animal jellies and opt for a super-soft pair of disposable contact lenses today. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service