Soft lenses then and now

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In 1961 the original Spofa lenses were sealed in glass ampoules which were broken open to retrieve the lens. Modern packaging is geared to disposable lenses and is almost entirely blister packs. The latest innovation, the Menicon Magic, is wafer thin.

The first non-HEMA lens, Bionite, arrived in 1968 with a water content of 55 per cent. Invented by Allan Isen and Ken O'Driscoll it proved very comfortable but had serious problems with reproducibility and durability. The material was acquired by American Optical and subsequently by CIBA Vision which used it for the Focus Visitint.