Obituary - Rigid contact lenses

Scleral and corneal rigid lenses represented 100 per cent of the contact lens market immediately prior to the invention of soft lenses in the mid-1960s. In the United Kingdom today, rigid lenses comprise 2 per cent of all new lens fits. Low rates of rigid lens fitting are also apparent in 27 other countries which have recently been surveyed. Thus, the 1998 prediction of the author that rigid lenses – also referred to as ‘rigid gas permeable’ (RGP) lenses or ‘gas permeable’ (GP) lenses – would be obsolete by the year 2010 has essentially turned out to be correct. In this obituary, the author offers 10 reasons for the demise of rigid lens fitting: initial rigid lens discomfort; intractable rigid lens-induced corneal and lid pathology; extensive soft lens advertising; superior soft lens fitting logistics; lack of rigid lens training opportunities; redundancy of the rigid lens ‘problem solver’ function; improved soft toric and bifocal/varifocal lenses; limited uptake of orthokeratology; lack of investment in rigid lenses; and the emergence of aberration control soft lenses. Rigid lenses are now being fitted by a minority of practitioners with specialist skills/training. Certainly, rigid lenses can no longer be considered as a mainstream form of contact lens correction. May their dear souls (bulk properties) rest in peace.

Obituary of Louis Gottschalk; Hannoversches Tageblatt.

Death Notice of Louis Gottschalk, Hannoversches Tageblatt, Tuesday, Aug 18, 1914

Obituary of Albert Goldschmidt; Cologne, Germany.

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Newspaper obituary for Max Molling in the Hannoverscher Anzeiger; Hannover, Germany.

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Newspaper obituary for Max Molling in the Hannoverscher Anzeiger by the personel of M. Molling & Co.; Hannover, Germany.

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Reproduction of newspaper obituary for Louis Gottschalk in the Hannoversches Tageblatt.

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Reproduction of newspaper obituary for Max Molling in the Hannoverscher Anzeiger.

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Reproduction of newspaper obituary for Max Molling in the Hannoverscher Anzeiger.

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Newspaper obituary for Max Molling in the Hannoverscher Anzeiger; Hannover, Germany.

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Obituary of Louis Gottschalk; Hannoversches Tageblatt.

Death Notice of Louis Gottschalk, Hannoversches Tageblatt, Tuesday, Aug 18, 1914

Obituary of Julie Schoenbeck nee Rothschild; Cologne, Germany.

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Obituary of Albert Goldschmidt; Cologne, Germany.

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Newspaper obituary for Max Molling in the Hannoverscher Anzeiger; Hannover, Germany.

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Newspaper obituary for Max Molling in the Hannoverscher Anzeiger by the personel of M. Molling & Co.; Hannover, Germany.

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Reproduction of newspaper obituary for Louis Gottschalk in the Hannoversches Tageblatt.

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