Brief Biography:
Adolf Eugen Fick was born in Germany in 1829. His parents died when he was just five years old so I was raised by an uncle. He began is studies in math and physics but realized he had a knack for medicine. He graduated form the University of Marburg in 1851 with a doctorate in medicine. After his time serving in the Franco Prussian war he began work as an ophthalmologist.
Contributions:
During his time working as an ophthalmologist he began designing the first contact lenses. He first began grinding down glass to a very thin thickness of a variety of prescriptions and fitting them on rabbits. He later began designing contacts for humans by modeling the glass lenses from cadaver eyes. These initial contact lenses were the size of the entire eye (including the white) not like the small retina covering lenses of today. He was able to wear the glass lenses for about an hour without eye irritation but they eventually needed to be taken out.
So What?
The contributions made by Adolf Eugen Fick changed the way people with poor eyesight lived a regular day. His invention did not go mainstream for some time but without his contributions many people would be stuck with glasses. With technology improving contact lenses can be worn longer and even can shade when exposed to the sun.
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