Dr. Patricia Bath (1942-2019) often said, "Eyesight is a basic human right." Throughout her storied career, she didn't just advocate for that right; she engineered the technology to protect it. As a pioneer in ophthalmology, she broke through "glass ceilings" of race and gender to invent the Laserphaco Probe, a device that revolutionized cataract surgery and restored sight to millions.
A Trailblazer’s Journey
Born in Harlem in 1942, Patricia Bath’s interest in science was sparked early by a chemistry set and encouraged by her parents. Her path was one of constant "firsts":
1973: First African American to complete a residency in ophthalmology (at NYU).
1975: First female faculty member in the Department of Ophthalmology at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute.
1983: First woman to chair an ophthalmology residency program in the United States.
While practicing in New York, she noticed a staggering disparity: blindness was twice as prevalent among Black patients compared to white patients. This led her to create the discipline of Community Ophthalmology, which treats eye health as a public health issue, bringing screenings and care to underserved populations.
The Invention of the Laserphaco Probe
In 1981, Dr. Bath conceived of a device that would use laser technology to remove cataracts more precisely and less painfully than traditional methods. At the time, the necessary laser technology didn't even exist in the United States for medical use.
Undeterred by the lack of local resources and the skepticism of colleagues, she took her research to Europe, working in labs in Berlin, Paris, and London. By 1986, she perfected the Laserphaco Probe.
The device works by using a laser to "vaporize" or dissolve the cataract (a process she coined "laserphaco") through a tiny 1mm incision. Once dissolved, the probe’s irrigation and aspiration system flushes out the debris and prepares the eye for a replacement lens. This minimally invasive approach drastically reduced recovery times and improved success rates globally.
Patent and Legacy
In 1988, Dr. Bath made history again as the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent for the Laserphaco Probe.
Dr. Bath’s invention has been used to restore the sight of people who had been blind for decades. In 2022, she was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, a fitting tribute to a woman who spent her life ensuring that the world could see clearly.
Key Information & Resources
Full Patent:
U.S. Patent No. 4,744,360 - Apparatus for ablating and removing cataract lenses Organization Founded:
American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness
Sources:
This doctor save millions of people eyesight. Celebrating Black History Month. pic.twitter.com/AoG4gNoRLM
— Don Salmon (@dijoni) February 2, 2026
Millions of people can see today because of a Black woman most history books barely mention.
— James Tate (@JamesTate121) February 3, 2026
Dr. Patricia Bath revolutionized eye surgery by inventing the Laserphaco Probe — technology that helped restore sight to patients around the world.
She didn’t just practice medicine.
She… pic.twitter.com/qekAyPM7Y0
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