Patricia Bath Patents Cataract Laser

The first African American ophthalmology resident at New York University was Dr. Patricia Bath, who completed her training there in 1973. She later invented the Laserphaco Probe, a minimally invasive device that used a laser to remove cataracts and helped patients around the world regain their sight. When Bath patented the device in 1988, she became the first Black female physician in the United States to receive a patent for a medical invention.

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