From start-up to Switzerland’s leading contact lens manufacturer
2023
Introduction of i-Shape Scleral: Advanced Freeform Technology by Appenzeller Kontaktlinsen
2021
Development of our innovative i Learn-continuing education offering
2020
Introduction of i-SOFT 3-month lenses
Appenzeller Kontaktlinsen has its 10-year anniversary as a firm, now with more than 30 staff
2018
Development of proASSIST Myopia Management Designs for soft and rigid contact lenses
2017
Introduction of Personnelle Multi CD/CD
Introduction of i-MAP AS Multi CD/CN
Introduction of Personnelle SMART
Received the Silmo d’Or award for development of the i-MATRIX Multi
2016
New contact lens introduced: i-NIGHT orthokeratology contact lenses
2013
Introduction of Personnelle-KK soft keratoconus lenses
The company has a new name and look: “Appenzeller Kontaktlinsen”
2012
Introduction of i-MATRIX scleral lenses
2011
Our first contact lenses: Excellent-KK / multifocal lenses with decentred near and far zones
Development of i-MAP AS
2010
Founding of the company, called “Lens4me”
Precision manufacturing in the Appenzellerland with origins in Italy
1508
Leonardo da Vinci – one of the most famous polymaths of all time. Many things we take for granted today had their origin in his head. Including contact lenses. It all started out with him placing water-filled glass bowls over his eyes.
1636
Placing glasses directly on the eye to restore vision: This idea of René Descartes remained a purely theoretical “vision”.
1823
John Herschel places spherical capsules filled with animal gelatin over the eyes. Adolf Eugen Fick of Switzerland and August Müller of Germany develop the first usable lenses almost simultaneously.
1911
The company Carl Zeiss manufactures the first precisely fitting glass lenses of various thicknesses.
1936
William Feinbloom becomes the first to use acrylic glass for contact lenses instead of glass.
1946
Heinrich Wöhlke of Kiel successfully develops scleral lenses with a special look.
1959
Otto Wichterle invents the hydrogel HEMA for the production of soft contact lenses.
2010
Appenzeller Kontaktlinsen AG is founded, originally named Lens4Me. See above.
Our products
Custom contact lenses that fit
