Women's History Month - Patricia E. Bath, M.D.

In recognition of Women’s History Month, Smithtown Matters is proud to recognize the accomplishments of women.  It is fascinating to learn the wonderful and interesting ways women have made their mark on the world.  Throughout March, SmithtownMatters will give a brief history of women who made a difference.

Day 5-Patricia E. Bath, M.D. - Ophthalmologist, Educator, Inventor and Laser Scientist. Invented a laser device and the technique for cataract surgery know as laserphaco. The first laser phaco probe was patented by Bath in 1986. 

Dr. Bath received her medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine in 1968. She did her fellowship in ophthalmology at Columbia University.  While at Columbia University she created a program she called “community opthalmology”.  This program designed to offer health care to underserved populations integrated public health, community medicine and clinical opthalmology.

Dr. Bath has a history of clearing a path for women.  In 1974 she was appointed to the faculty of UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute becoming the first woman ophthalmologist to do so.  In 1983 she became the first woman chair of an opthalmology program. She was also the first woman surgeon appointed to the Honorary Medical Staff of the UCLA Medical Center.

In 1976 Bath co-founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness.  Bath was also the first African American woman physician to receive a medical patent. Dr. Bath currently has five U.S. patents and five international patents.

Pat. No. 4,7443,60: Apparatus for ablating and removing cataract lenses, issued 17 May 1988. Pat. No. 5,843,071: Method and apparatus for ablating and removing cataract lenses, issued 1 December 1998. Pat. No. 5,919,186: Laser apparatus for surgery of cataractous lenses, issued 6 July 1999. Pat. No. 6,083,192: Pulsed ultrasound method for fragmenting/emulsifying and removing cataractous lenses, issued 4 July 2000.