Bausch and Lomb’s Purevision contact lens is the pinnacle of centuries’ worth of research on the concept of the perfect, convenient and gentle alternative to eyeglasses. As early as 1508, Leonardo da Vinci had sketched a prototype for “frameless spectacles”, a concept that philosopher Rene Descartes also suggested in 1632. Then in 1801, scientist Thomas Young made a makeshift glass tube, which he filled with water and filtered with a miniature lens.

These were clumsy attempts, made unsuccessful because their inventions couldn’t perfectly conform to the shape of the eye. Sir John Herschel, a British astronomer, thought of making a mold, but it was Adolf Eugen Fick—a German physician—who successfully made a contact lens that people could actually wear. Unfortunately, they were so uncomfortable that they could only be used for a few hours at a time.

F. A. Muller, an expert at glasswork, was able to make a thinner and lighter contact lens. But the problem was material: glass was very breakable, and potentially dangerous. In 1936, William Feinbloom thought of using plastic—more durable, but still uncomfortable. For the next few decades, companies worked to find thinner and gentler lenses, and it was only in 1971 that the “soft lens” became commercially available.

Bausch and Lomb’s Purevision goes beyond mere “soft” contact lens. It uses the breakthrough, proprietary material called “Aergel”, which eliminates the discomfort of traditional contact lenses.
• Less dryness. Many contact lens users complain of dryness, because the eyes can’t “breathe” through even the thinnest plastic lenses. The new Aergel material is so permeable that your eyes are able to achieve natural levels of oxygen. You feel like you’re not even wearing contact lenses!
• Less irritation. Bausch and Lomb’s Purevision contact lenses have a special surface that even repels dirt, grit and other debris. Eyes feel less itchy, and there’s a lower risk of injuring the eye.
• Better fit. Some users are worried that the contact lens will pop out. A “loose” contact lens also feels uncomfortable—you feel that something’s stuck, or you have to blink more frequently for it to stay in place. However, Purevision lenses have thinner, rounder edges. This means a much more natural, contoured fit. It’s safer, more reliable, and more comfortable.
• Clear vision. When you wear Purevision contact lenses, you see the world in amazing detail. Everything looks so clear, colors are vibrant, and you don’t have depth problems, even in poor lighting conditions (like driving at night).
• More versatility. There’s a Purevision contact lens for every vision problem: near sightedness, far sightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia.