Rigid contact lenses were first used about fifty years ago, when a corneal contact lens was proposed to replace the scleral contact lens. Rigid contact lenses provided more comfort for the eyes when worn, and accordingly allowed better vision. At the end of the 70s. An American contact lens company has offered Boston rigid contact lenses, the first in a line of modern contact lenses. These lenses could easily pass oxygen to the tissues of the eye, in other words, they reduced the load on the organ of vision, in particular on the cornea of ​​the eye. The advantages of rigid contact lenses are considered to be sharper vision, minimal stress on the cornea of ​​the eye, extremely low risk of eye infection, effective correction of refractive errors. 

The range of modern rigid contact lenses is huge, so everyone can choose the best option for themselves.

In Western countries, one of the main conditions necessary for comfortable and effective wearing of hard contact lenses is the correct selection of the lens itself and the correct material from which it is made. Often, the choice of lens material is determined by the desired lens appearance. For example, hard contact lenses of unusual design from certain manufacturers are produced only from a special hypoallergenic material HDS. Although, I must say that the limitations of such a plan are quite rare. More often than not, there are several materials to consider when choosing contact lenses. We are talking now about the assortment of Western countries, but, most likely, with the development of technology, it will soon not be difficult to find the right hard contact lenses. The choice of lenses is, among other things, based on the recommendations of the ophthalmologist who checks the required lens throughput.

According to Dr. Kavanagh’s research , the high throughput of rigid contact lenses reduces the likelihood of pathogens adhering to the tissues of the eye, in other words, the risk of an infectious disease is significantly reduced. From this point of view, it is preferable to choose contact lenses with high capacity.  

Nevertheless, one should remember about another equally important feature – the characteristics of the surface layer of rigid contact lenses, in particular, its ability to wet. The better the lens surface is wetted, the more comfortable it is to wear. Low-bandwidth lenses have been proven to be thinner, stronger, less harmful and less likely to scratch. Therefore, ophthalmologists have to find a reasonable balance between the material from which the lens is made and between its characteristics.

Experts recommend starting the choice of contact lenses only with the most modern materials. Rigid contact lens manufacturers invest millions and billions in finding solutions to the problems associated with making rigid contact lenses. In particular, recent research is being carried out with respect to the creation of rigid contact lenses with high wetting properties and high flow rates.  

For people who only wear hard contact lenses during the day, it is recommended to start with lenses with medium bandwidth, as they balance the oxygen carrying capacity and the wetting capacity of the contact lens surface. The lens materials for the wearer have a high transmission capacity.