He is credited with being one of the first to employ the concept of orthokeratology, a direct attempt to reduce refractive error with the use of a contact lens, under the term orthofocus.
In Uptown Chicago, in the basement of Jessen's mother's apartment building, the two began researching a solution to Dr. Wesley's vision problems.
[5] Wesley suffered from keratoconus, a degenerative disease of the cornea that defies correction with glasses, and he had also been told by experts that he'd eventually lose his sight completely.
Wesley and Jessen worked to develop the plastic lenses known as the rigid corneal contact lens.
[6] In 1978 the pair gained Food and Drug Administration approval of their hydrogel soft contact lenses.
Besides founding the Wesley-Jessen Corporation, they also created the National Eye Research Foundation,[2] which presents the Dr. George N. Jessen Award for Clinical Excellence each year at its annual meeting.