MEET THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO PATENT A DEVICE FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES — Dr. Patricia Bath was the first African American woman to patent a device for medical purposes. She invented a surgical tool called the Laserphaco Probe which is used during eye surgery to correct cataracts. Her invention was a less invasive way to treat cataracts, which is a medical condition of the eye that clouds one’s vision and can eventually lead to blindness.
