With the design of the AquaSoft Singles lens, there's no soaking or cleaning solution. There's not even a storage case. They are made ready-to-wear, so that a user can insert them using the small amount of solution that keeps the lenses hydrated and then toss them.

It's the single-biggest innovation in the industry since disposable contacts were introduced in 1987, Hwang said. Up to that point, about 27 million people worldwide wore contact lenses. The number after the introduction of disposable lenses jumped to 100 million-plus.

When the new lenses hit the market, they will be competitively priced at about $1 a day for a pair, said Hwang. But they are not yet available. And neither is the packaging.

The company has patents on the innovations, Hwang and Newman said. But they're still going through the Food and Drug Administration approval process.

Although 1-800 CONTACTS owns ClearLab, which developed the lens and package, the lenses are expected to be widely available through other outlets as well, once they hit the marketplace, Hwang said.

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