Black History Month Project Mrs. Athanasakos Patricia E. Bath

Biographical Information 1949 - Born in Harlem, New York Father: Rupert Bath, an educated and well- traveled merchant seaman Mother: Gladys Bath, a homemaker and housecleaner They taught her to focus on education and believe in her dreams and ideas

Education As a child, she loved books, travel, and science In high school she excelled in biology. At 16, she was chosen to attend a summer program offered by the National Science Foundation at Yeshiva University. While working at Yeshiva, she developed a mathematical equation to predict cancer cell growth.

Education She finished high school in two and a half years. Next, she studied chemistry and physics at Hunter College in N. Y. earning her bachelor’s degree in 1964 She attended medical school at Howard University in Washington, D.C and finished her M.D. in 1968

Education & Interests 1969 to 1970 - She completed a fellowship in ophthalmology at Columbia University She brought eye surgery services to Harlem Hospital to help poor African-Americans who were losing their sight In 1973, she finished her medical training

Career “To protect, preserve, and restore the gift of sight” Her main goal became … “To protect, preserve, and restore the gift of sight” for all persons regardless of race, age, or income

Career 1974 – Moved to Los Angles to teach at the University of California 1976 – Co-founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness 1981 – She developed the Laserphaco Probe to treat patients with cataracts

The Laserphaco Probe

Cataracts & Laserphaco Probe Cataracts are cloudy areas that develop in the lens inside the eye The patient’s vision becomes blurry Cataracts eventually cause blindness

Cataracts & Laserphaco Probe Cataracts were originally treated with harsh and risky surgery Dr. Bath developed a new surgical procedure that uses a laser to vaporize cataracts with a tiny (1mm.) incision into the patient’s eye

Major Accomplishments 1988 - First African-American doctor to receive a patent for a medical device She holds four U. S. patents and several international patents from Japan, Canada and some countries in Europe The Laserphaco Probe has been used overseas since the year 2000

Dr. Patricia E. Bath

References Biographical Information http://www.biography.com/people/patricia-bath-21038525 Cataract Information http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157510.php http://www.kellogg.umich.edu/patientcare/conditions/cataract.html Images http://www.famous-black-inventors.net/patricia-bath.html www.phillipseyecenter.com