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Disposable Lenses

 

Disposable lenses may be worn continuously for short periods of time or daily for longer periods (i.e. they are taken out at night). Their advantage rests in better hygiene.

  

  Spofa soft contact lenses 1988
1982 World’s first disposable lens introduced - the ‘Danalens’.

  

1987 Disposable soft lenses made available.

  

To the right is a sample set of ten 'Spofa' soft contact lenses (c.1988), Types D and D6, each lens within a white plastic fluid-filled single lens container. The containers feature colour-coded bands and label surrounds (dark blue for positive, orange for negative). This sample set has been made up for the museum by the Wilens Company of the Czech Republic and comprises lenses from several production lots.

 

1995 Daily disposable lenses made available. The first was the Premier Award lens invented by Ron Hamilton in Scotland. The company was later bought by Bausch & Lomb and the product transmuted into the SOFLENS 1 day. Ron Hamilton went on to launch the Provis company.

 

  Zodiac 73 disposable lens
  Freshlook lens
  1-Day Acuvue Contact Lenses box

The Zodiac 73 - a 'monthly-use' hydrophilic soft contact lens (c.1997) was supplied in a sealed sterile blister pack with an outer cardboard box (seen left) and included a multi-lingual instruction leaflet. This 73% water lens was a fairly short-lived product that soon ceased production. Each box contained 3 blister packs.

 

  Occasions Lens
1998 Multifocal disposable soft lenses were made available. The first design, illustrated here on the right, was 'Occasions' by Bausch & Lomb.

 

'Freshlook' was a soft toric monthly disposable contact lens for astigmatism by Wesley-Jessen (c.2000). The very first monthly disposable toric lens was the 'Focus' by CIBA Vision (45% vifilcon and 55% water).

  

2002 First daily disposable Toric lens: 'Focus Dailies': At this time CIBA Vision was the only manufacturer producing a multifocal daily disposable lens (31% nelfilcon, 69% water). They used a cast moulding process. There was also a progressive lens in the same range.

 

  1-Day Acuvue Contact Lenses
Whilst many contact lens products have had a very short shelf life, there are examples of popular brand names being retained. The original 'Acuvue' lens was launched by what is now Johnson & Johnson Vision Care in 1988, closely followed, in 1991, by the 'Surevue' and the 'Sequence' by Bausch & Lomb - two of the earliest daily wear lenses in the UK designed for monthly disposal. The '1-Day Acuvue' was then launched in 1995 as the first soft disposable lens to be available throughout the world. Following further refinement this product was promoted in the early 21st century as the only daily disposable lens amongst leading brands with UV protection, though the 'Daysoft-uv' from Provis was soon competing. A coloured version was added to the 'Acuvue' range in early 2004. They were considered by the makers to be the 'ideal lens for complete beginners, existing and lapsed wearers'.

 

 

DISCLAIMER: The inclusion of specific manufacturer's recent products on this historical website should not be taken to mean that the College of Optometrists endorses such products. The College welcomes donations of current innovatory products to include within the museum collection and is grateful to those small and large companies who have already done this.

 

 


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