Born in Harlem, N.Y., Bath developed an interest in science early in her life. She attended medical school at Howard University and completed a fellowship in ophthalmology at Columbia University. In 1981, Bath invented the surgical tool that made her famous: the Laserphaco Probe, which she continued to perfect and later patented in 1988. The tool was used during eye surgery to correct cataracts, an eye condition that clouds vision and can lead to blindness.





