Did Leonardo Da Vinci Invent Contact Lenses In 1508?

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was, without doubt, a man much ahead of his time. His excellent knowledge and scientific curiosity resulted in many incredible inventions.

Although some of his inventions were re-inventions based on ancient knowledge, his role and contribution to the development of science cannot be disputed.

Leonardo da Vinci. Credit: Public Domain

Among many things, da Vinci illustrated the concept of contact lenses as early as 1508! The first contact lens manufactured from glass and fitted to cover the entire eye occurred in 1887. Still, da Vinci produced the first known sketches that suggested the optics of the human eye could be altered by placing the cornea directly in contact with water.

Da Vinci was right in his assumptions. He filled a bowl with water and placed a man's face into it.  It is said that the individual could see clearly for the first time.

His experiment revealed two important scientific factors. Improved refraction and improved peripheral visual acuity.

Leonardo da Vinci also made a contact lens with a funnel on one side to pour water into it.  Unfortunately, this was immediately discarded due to impracticality and the age in which he lived.

Leonardo da Vinci’s contact lens drawing. Credit: Public Domain

However, da Vinci’s theories and works were not in vain. In 1636, after reviewing Leonardo’s work, French scientist René Descartes proposed another idea: placing a glass tube filled with liquid in direct contact with the cornea, but this proved to be impractical too, as the ungainly size and shape of it prevented the wearer from blinking.

In 1827, English astronomer Sir John Herschel proposed making a mold of a person's eyes. Such molds would enable the production of corrective lenses that could conform to the eye's front surface. But it was more than 50 years later that someone actually produced such lenses, and there is some controversy about who did it first.

According to some reports, German glassblower F.A. Muller used Herschel's ideas to create the first known glass contact lens in 1887. Other sources say Swiss physician Adolf E. Fick and Paris optician Edouard Kalt constructed and fitted the first glass contact lenses to correct vision problems in 1888.

Early glass contact lenses were heavy and covered the entire front surface of the eye, including the "white" of the eye (the sclera).

Modern contact lens technology has moved forward rapidly, and today’s contact lenses are light and very easy to wear. The best contact lenses are breathable, durable, and comfortable, and scientists continue exploring new lens improvements. Leonardo da Vinci would be amazed if he could see the current result of his early theories and experiments.

Updated on October 17, 2023

Written by Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

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