Born on November 4, 1942, in Harlem, New York City, Dr Patricia Bath was a woman of many firsts. She was the first African American to complete residency in ophthalmology and the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent. Throughout her life, Dr Bath was deeply committed to combating preventable blindness, particularly among underserved populations. Dr Bath’s most notable invention is the Laserphaco Probe, a device used during cataract surgery.
This invention transformed the way cataracts are treated and significantly improved the accuracy and efficacy of the procedure. Before the Laserphaco Probe, cataract surgery was a complicated and risky procedure. However, Dr Bath’s invention made the surgery faster, more accurate and less invasive, thereby reducing the chances of complications and improving patient outcomes.
Her innovation revolutionised the field of ophthalmology, making cataract surgery accessible to millions worldwide. Patricia’s commitment to a career in medicine began during her childhood when she first learned about Dr Albert Schweitzer’s service to lepers in the Congo.
After excelling in high school and university and earning awards for scientific research as early as age sixteen, she embarked on a career in medicine. She received her medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine in Washington DC, interned at Harlem Hospital, and completed a fellowship in ophthalmology at Columbia University.
After marriage, when motherhood became her priority, she also managed to complete a fellowship in corneal transplantation and keratoprosthesis (replacing the human cornea with an artificial one).
During her time as a young intern shuttling between Harlem Hospital and Columbia Hospital, Dr Bath observed that at the eye clinic in Harlem, half of the patients were blind or visually impaired, in contrast to the eye clinic at Columbia, where there were very few blind patients.
On conducting a retrospective epidemiological study, she found that the rate of blindness among blacks were due to lack of access to ophthalmic care. Consequently, she proposed a new discipline known as community ophthalmology, which is now operational worldwide. Dr Patricia Bath’s contributions to the field of medicine have earned her numerous accolades and honours.
In 1993, she received the prestigious Patricia Roberts Harris Fellow award. In 2001, she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and in 2019, she was posthumously inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.