Rene Descartes - The Father of Modern Mathematics, Philosophy, and Contact Lenses

Many people believe that contact lenses are a modern-day invention. But the truth of the matter is that Rene Descartes came up with the original idea all the way back in the 1600's!

Rene Descartes was an influential philosopher and mathematician who was born in France in 1596, and lived until 1650. Descartes was dedicated to using science to improve the human condition, and he invented Cartesian geometry, which led to the sciences of calculus and analysis. You might be familiar with one of his better-known phrases, "Cogito Ergo Sum" - "I think, therefore I am."

As part of his interest in increasing knowledge and improving the living conditions for humanity, Rene Descartes became interested in some sketches that Leonardo Da Vinci had made in 1508. DaVinci's designs showed how to make a lens that could improve eyesight.

Rene Descartes took DaVinci's ideas a step farther, and described a way to attach lenses directly to the cornea to sharpen vision. Of course, Descartes' idea would have been a bit uncomfortable to implement. His design called for a liquid-filled tube to be placed directly on the cornea, which would have prevented the wearer from blinking!

Rene Descartes' ideas were not a waste, however unsuitable for long-term use. The idea of the corneal contact lens was picked up by Thomas Young nearly 200 years later. Young built on Descartes' concept to create an actual contact lens - a quarter-inch thick tube filled with water that corrected his own vision. However, having a tube that thick in your eye could not be comfortable for long.

It was in 1887 that a working model of Rene Descartes corneal contact lens was used for the first time, thanks to a prototype created by a German glassblower named F.E. Muller, who capitalized on an astronomer's suggestion that a working contact lens must precisely fit the curve of the human eye.

Ever since Rene Descartes' concept was proven to work, people have concentrated on improving the process. In the early 1900's, inventors used molds of the human eye to create better fitting lenses. In 1936, an American developer made the first contact lenses out of plastic. In the 1970's, contact lenses were made available to the general public for the first time.

Although today's micro-engineered slivers of plastic look far different from Rene Descartes' clunky, water-filled tubes, we can still thank the great philosopher for a theory that has helped thousands of people around the world see more clearly.

Article provided courtesy of the Contact Lens Consumer Guide

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