Patricia Bath

Dr. Patricia Bath was an ophthalmologist, inventor, and activist who was dedicated to reducing blindness worldwide. She was born in Harlem and was often the first Black woman in her training and research programs. She was the first to identify the disproportionate occurrence of glaucoma in Black patients. Bath invented the laserphaco, a tool used in cataract surgery to remove the cataract with minimal impact on surrounding tissue. The laserphaco uses a central optical fiber for the laser surrounded by sleeves to supply water and to aspirate the broken pieces of lenses. The importance of this invention in the history of laser eye surgery is discussed. Bath also founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness and the Student National Medical Association.