Patricia Bath Innovative Lives Presentation and Interview, [videotapes]
name: label: Creator
content: Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
label: Creator
content: Bath, Patricia, Dr., 1942-2019
topic: label: Occupation
content: Surgeons
label: Topic
content: African American physicians
label: Topic
content: African American women
label: Topic
content: Eye diagnosis
label: Topic
content: Eye equipment and supplies
label: Topic
content: Eye -- Examination
label: Topic
content: Eye -- Diseases
label: Topic
content: Inventions -- 1980-2000
label: Topic
content: Inventors -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Laserphaco (medical instrument)
label: Topic
content: Medicine -- Communication systems
label: Topic
content: Ophthalmologists
label: Topic
content: Ophthalmology
label: Topic
content: Women inventors
label: Topic
content: Women inventors -- 20th century
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This collection was recorded by the Innovative Lives Program of The Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation on March 1, 2000. The Innovative Lives series brings Museum visitors and American inventors together to discuss inventions and the creative process and to experiment and play with hands-on activities related to each inventor's product.
creator: label: Creator
content: Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
label: Creator
content: Bath, Patricia, Dr., 1942-2019
setName: label: See more items in
content: Patricia Bath Innovative Lives Presentation and Interview, [videotapes]
abstract: label: Summary
content: Dr. Patricia Bath was born in 1942 in New York. She conceived of the Laserphaco Probe in 1981 and patented it in 1988 (US Patent # 4,744,360 for an "Apparatus for ablating and removing cataract lenses"). The collection contains original and reference video footage of Dr. Bath's Innovative Lives Presentation documenting her work in the field of ophthalmology and her work creating and patenting the LaserPhaco Probe, an instrument to remove cataracts. Also included is an interview with Dr. Bath at her home in Los Angeles and an interview with her daughter, Eraka Bath and supplemental documentation assembled by Dr. Bath. The documentation includes photocopies of articles, patents, biographical sketch material, and selected publications and references to related to lasers and surgery of Dr. Bath
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Dr. Patricia Bath (1942-) was born in New York. She attended Charles Evans Hughes High School, Hunter College (B.A. 1964), and Howard University College of Medicine (M.D. 1968). Bath held a fellowship in ophthalmology at Columbia University (1969-1970) and an internship at New York University (1970-1973) where she was the first African American resident in ophthalmology. Dr. Bath later joined the faculty of UCLA and Charles R. Drew University in surgery and ophthalmology and later the Department of Ophthalmology at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute. In 1976, Dr. Bath and other colleagues formed the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness (AIPB). Dr. Bath conceived of the Laserphaco, an instrument to remove cataracts in 1981. She received US patent #4,744,360 for an "Apparatus for ablating and removing cataract lenses" on May 17, 1988. Later patents include a method and apparatus for ablating and removing cataract lenses; laser apparatus for surgery of cataractous lenses; and pulsed ultrasound method for fragmenting/emulsifying and removing cataractous lenses. Dr. Bath retired from the UCLA Medical Center in 1993 to work in telemedicine, the use of electronic communication to provide medical services to remote areas where healthcare is limited.

The Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation was founded in 1995 at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History through a generous gift from the Lemelson Foundation. The Center's mission is: to document, interpret, and disseminate information about invention and innovation; to encourage inventive creativity in young people; and to foster an appreciation for the central role invention and innovation play in the history of the United States. The Innovative Lives series brings together Museum visitors and especially, school age children, and American inventors to discuss inventions and the creative process and to experiment and play with hands-on activities related to each inventor's product. This collection was recorded by the Innovative Lives Program of the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.5 Cubic feet (2 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: February 17, 2000 and March 1, 2000.
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The collection was transferred to the Archives Center in 2000.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0753
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Betacam sp (videotape format)
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Oral history
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Slides
label: Type
content: Videotapes
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged into three series.

Series 1, Original Videos, 2000

Series 2, Reference Videos, 2000

Series 3, Supplemental Documentation
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed by Alison Oswald, November 2000; revised May 2001; February 2006; and October 2014.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Series 1: Original Videos, was digitized in 2014. See repository for details.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: BetaCam SP (videotape format)
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews -- 1980-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Oral history -- 1990-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Slides
label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: This collection consists of 8.5 hours of original (BetaCam SP) video recordings and reference (viewing) copies (VHS) documenting the life and career of Dr. Patricia Bath. The recordings include a presentation by Dr. Bath for the Lemelson Center's Innovative Lives Program and interviews at her home and laboratory in Los Angeles. The collection also includes an interview with Dr. Bath's daughter, Eraka Bath, and copies of footage from other sources about Dr. Bath's work. Additionally, there is supplemental documentation assembled by Dr. Bath. The documentation includes photocopies of articles, patents, biographical sketch material, and selected publications and references to related to lasers and surgery of Dr. Bath.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: An anatomical eye (accession # 2000.0038.01) was donated to the Division of Medicine and Science in 2000 by Dr. Patricia Bath.