Soft Contact Lenses

Otto Wichterle made the first practical soft contact lens at his home on his kitchen table in 1961. He created the lens with an old phonograph and an erector set. His contacts were set apart from other similar kinds because they could be worn for long periods of time without being adjusted

Otto's machine he used to create the first soft contact lens

Soft Contact Lens

Before Contacts

The Invention of Contacts

Inventor: Otto Wichterle

Ottos Contacts

Before contacts, people wore glasses. They were hard (glass or plastic) lenses and they were not very comfortable. Soft contact lenses could be worn for longer periods of time.

Contacts look like they are placed directly in the eye but they are not. They float above the cornea on a layer of tears. Contacts improve peoples sight and, for most people, are comfortable.

Citations

"Children's Health." Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.WebsiteLinkTagsEditDelete "Invent Now | Hall of Fame | Search | Inventor Profile | Otto Wichterle." Invent Now | Hall of Fame | Search | Inventor Profile | Otto Wichterle. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.WebsiteLinkTagsEditDelete "The Inventor of the Modern Day Contact Lenses – Otto Wichterle." Lens-Saver. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.WebsiteLinkTagsEditDelete "Mike Dell's World." Mike Dells World. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.WebsiteLinkTagsEditDelete "Otto Wichterle." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 May 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.WebsiteLinkTagsEditDelete "Popular Items for 60s Cat Eye Glasses." Etsy. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.Website

Otto was born in 1913 in the Czech Republic. He died in 1998.

By: Tanner Nicholas