The daily lives of over 140 million people world-wide are made easier today thanks to contact lenses. Were you aware that the world is thankful to a Czech inventor for this discovery? Did you know that some 60 years have now passed since the discovery of the contact lens?
Otto Wichterle gave the world a somewhat different Christmas present
Otto Wichterle, born in Prostějov, the founder of the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and a long term professor at the Institute of Chemical Technology created the very first contact lens in 1961. The circumstances of this discovery were bizarre to say the least.
These clear scales that were to be placed into the eyes came into existence on Christmas Eve of the year 1961 in the family living-room. The night before, Otto Wichterle assembled a lens machine using metal blocks from the Merkur building toy kit that he borrowed from his two sons. He used the dynamo from their bicycle as a power source. In the afternoon of the 24th of December, he made the first 4 soft lenses and on Boxing Day he tested these at the 2nd Ophthalmological clinic in Prague.
This discovery was a massive breakthrough because up until then only hard contact lenses existed and these could be worn for a maximum of two hours at a time. Mr. Wichterle commenced his work on soft contact lenses back in the 1950s but due to the regime at the time he was forced to bring his research at the university to a halt and only returned to it in the make-shift conditions of his home. The circumstances surrounding it make this discover that much more precious.
The world became intrigued by this Czech invention and the soft contact lenses found their way across the borders
Following Christmas of 1961, Mr. Wichterle applied for a patent on his discovery. The manufacture of soft contact lenses took off. During the first few months he took turns manufacturing contact lenses with his wife and together they managed to make more than five thousand pieces. Mr. Wichterle gradually improved his lens machine, attended numerous international congresses and his discovery was fast becoming renowned the world over. In mid 1970s, the Czechoslovak government sold the license for a fraction of its true value to an American company and so Mr. Wichterle`s lenses started being made also outside Czechoslovakia. All of this occurred without his knowledge. Has it not been for the Iron Curtain, Mr. Wichterle would have become a self-made billionaire as a result of his discovery. The much-deserved respect and fame came by only after the Velvet Revolution when he was nominated for the Nobel prize among other things.
Would you like to make your life easier as well? Give contact lenses a go
It is interesting to note that Mr. Wichterle himself could never use contact lenses because his cornea was curved the wrong way. For the past six decades, however, his discovery has been making it possible for millions of people to put aside their glasses and live their lives a little more comfortably. If this is something you would like to try out for yourself, we, at the Refractive Centre Prague would be happy to help. There are many different types of contact lenses on the market today and everyone has a preference. Our specialists are here to help you make a customised choice based on your needs and medical condition. As part of your visit, we will carry out a straightforward examination based on which we will recommend the best type of lenses in your case. We will also show you how to handle contact lenses correctly and how best to look after them. Should you be interested please make an appointment here.