In compiling my first list of great African American inventors, it was hard for me to determine who made the greatest impact on society. I knew that I'd miss someone. I also knew that there would be some great and still living inventors that I wouldn't mention. So, here we go. Dr. Patricia Bath Cataract surgery is now one of the most common surgeries in the world. More than one million people get the surgery every year in the United States along. Thanks to one African American woman, that surgery is far less risky. in 1985, Dr. Patricia Bath invented a tool and procedure for the removal of cataracts. It's called the Laserphaco Probe and procedure. The Procedure combines the accuracy of an optical laser with an irrigation system and suction tubes. Before her invention the surgery was done manually with a mechanical grinder. Dr. Bath's personal belief is that everyone has the ...
