Dr. Patricia Bath and the laserphaco probe

“The ability to restore sight is the ultimate reward.”–Dr. Patricia Bath

According to the World Health Organization—WHO, roughly 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment, and 94 million of those are cataracts. Cataracts are the second highest cause of blindness or vision impairment. In 1986, Dr. Patricia Bath was the first African American woman doctor to receive a medical patent, for the laserphaco probe used in cataract treatment.

In 1942, Dr. Patricia Era Bath was born in Harlem, New York. She attended Charles Evans Hughes high school and graduated in 2 years. She received a bachelor’s degree from Hunter College in 1964 a medical degree from Howard University, in 1968, graduating with honors.

At Harlem Hospital, Dr. Bath discovered that black patients were twice likely to be blind, while white patients at Colombia University were not. She observed that it was inadequate eye care in minority communities that caused an increase in blindness, this made her start the first community eyecare clinic, which has been copied worldwide. In 1976, she founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness (AIPB). As the founder, Dr. Bath went to many countries to teach, speak, give equipment, do surgeries, and study the medicine of other countries. She developed new surgical processes in the field of ophthalmology because of her work with lasers.

In 1981, Dr. Bath started developing the laserphaco probe, a device that uses lasers to penetrate and destroy cataracts, after removal of the cataract; a surgeon will replace the lens of the eye. The disadvantage of other cataract treatments is that a good surgeon can’t make a perfect cut on the eye like a laser can. By inventing the laserphaco probe, she made cataract surgery safer because the laser doesn’t harm surrounding tissue.

The laserphaco probe combines laser and ultrasound energy transmitted by a flexible line which includes an optical fiber delivery system and an irrigation sleeve through an incision on the eye surface, preferably less than 1 mm. The irrigation around the fiber tip helps to reduce heat loss. The optical fiber efficiently delivers units of energy to the lens through the incision on the eye. It is a less painful and more efficient cataract treatment.

Dr. Bath worked with many engineers, doctors, and scientists during her outstanding career. They include Dr. Aron-Rosa, who mentored Dr. Bath’s career; Dr. Lois A. Young, whose mentorship was the reason why Dr. Bath chose ophthalmology; Dr. Robert Bernard, Chair of the National Science Foundation who used her findings in his paper when she was only sixteen; and many people from, Harlem Hospital, Drew University, UCLA, and AIPB.