close up on contacts

Happy Birthday, Disposables!

Susan P. Tarrant

What was once bulky, glass, and hard to care for is now whisper thin, flexible, and easy to use. What was once limited in the types of vision it could correct is now capable of handling everything from presbyopia to astigmatism.What was once rigid in care and use is now tintable, theatrical—and disposable.

A GAME CHANGER

It's been 25 years since the launch of disposable soft contact lenses, a feat many consider one of the greatest advancements in the category. In 1987, Vistakon, a division of Johnson & Johnson, launched the first disposable contact lenses. Acuvue lenses were originally marketed as sevenday extended-wear lenses, then became a daily wear lens. Other leading companies—Bausch & Lomb and CIBA Vision—followed with their own R&D and soon after released their own products.

What this development meant for eyecare practitioners was that they no longer had to go through several trial lenses with each patient to find the right fit, maintain large inventories of vials, and go through painstaking sterilization processes.

For patients, it meant easier lens care and a reduced chance of developing issues such as ulcerative keratitis.

“Many doctors were hesitant about disposable lenses, but I had a feeling this was a concept that would resonate with patients in a big way, and I was right,” says Bradford Ripps, OD, of Total Eyecare in Lake Hopatcong, N.J. “As one of the first doctors in the state to offer Acuvue disposable lenses, I had patients coming from as far as 80 miles away just to try them out. Disposable lenses literally changed the way we all practice by allowing us to give patients their own trial lenses.”

STILL GOING STRONG

Through the introduction of disposables, contact lenses became a more popular choice for patients and practitioners alike. The explosion of product innovations in the years following is certainly a testament to a growing and evolving industry.

This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the debut of the first multipurpose contact lens solution— renu by Bausch & Lomb—which revolutionized lens care with a singlebottle cleaning regimen.

In the years since, there have been other groundbreaking introductions, including silicone hydrogel contact lenses. This innovation in design combined the oxygen-permeability of silicone with the comfort and performance of hydrogel lenses. The high oxygen permeability allowed for the development of longer wear cycles, including extended (overnight) wear. Daily wear silicone hydrogels also entered the market.

Other innovations include designs that tackle the types of vision correction that otherwise were addressed only by spectacle lenses, such as presbyopia and astigmatism. Though correcting for astigmatism has presented challenges, such as the need for the lens to remain in exactly the same position, those challenges are being conquered by almost monthly developments. EB

MAJOR U.S. MILESTONES