Otto Wichterle

Czech chemist who invented soft contact lenses, revolutionizing optometry and making vision correction accessible globally.

Otto Wichterle (1913–1998) transformed eye care by inventing hydrogel soft contact lenses, a breakthrough combining chemistry and practicality. A Czech scientist, Wichterle developed the material polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) in the 1950s while researching biocompatible polymers.

Despite political persecution under Czechoslovakia’s communist regime, Wichterle built the first lens-casting device using a children’s construction kit at his home in 1961. His patents were controversially sold to the U.S., but his invention democratized vision correction, replacing rigid lenses with affordable, comfortable alternatives.

Wichterle’s work extended to biomedical engineering, including artificial blood vessels. Post-1989, he became a symbol of scientific resilience, serving in the Czech Senate. His story underscores innovation under adversity and the global impact of marginalized scientists during the Cold War.