Contemporary African-American Inventors
Dr. Patricia Bath
Dr. Patricia Bath is an internationally recognized ophthalmologist and surgeon who invented the laser-powered Laserphaco Probe. The inventions allows physicians to vaporize cataracts in a matter of minutes. The Harlem born pioneer has dedicated her life to the treatment and prevention of blindness in African-Americans. She’s also managed to become a trailblazer in the process. Dr. Bath was the first female ophthalmologist at UCLA’s prestigious Jules Stein Eye Institute and the first female African American surgeon at the UCLA Medical Center.