Inventing Modern Medicine, Black History Month Series: Patricia Bath

The use of lasers in medicine has revolutionized treatment in many fields, including eye and vision care. Ophthalmologist and inventor Patricia Bath developed a surgical tool called the Laserphaco Probe, which employs a laser to vaporize cataracts. The device uses a small, 1-millimeter insertion into the patient’s eye, allowing surgeons to treat the blemishes faster, more accurately, and less invasively. Bath held five U.S. patents related to her methods to remove cataract lenses. 

 

While working in New York City following her graduation from medical school in 1968, Bath conducted a study showing that blindness among her African American patients was nearly double the rate among whites. Citing lack of ophthalmic care as a central cause, Bath established the now widely-studied discipline of Community Ophthalmology. In 1976, she co-founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness. She became a global advocate for healthy vision and achieved many firsts throughout her career. 

 

Read more about Patricia Bath and her trailblazing career: http://bit.ly/3atXI7Z  

#BlackHistoryMonth #InventingModernAmerica

 

 

U.S. Patent no. 4,744,360

Title: Apparatus for ablating and removing cataract lenses

Patened: May 17, 1988

U.S. Patent no. 5,843,071

Title: Method and apparatus for ablating and removing cataract lenses

Patented: December 1, 1998

U.S. Patent no. 5,919,186

Title: Laser apparatus for surgery of cataractous lenses

Patented: July 6, 1999 

U.S. Patent no. 6,083,192

Title: Pulsed ultrasound method for fragmenting/emulsifying and removing cataractous lenses

Patented: July 4, 2000

 

U.S. Patnet no. 6,544,254

Title: Combination ultrasound and laser method and apparatus for removing cataract lenses

Patented: April 8, 2003

inventing Modern Medicine, Black History Month Series: Bessie Blount

At the age of seven, Bessie Blount was reprimanded for writing with her left hand. In response, she taught herself to write with her teeth and feet. As an adult in the health care field, this ingenuity and determination would lead her to inventive solutions that made life better for thousands of amputees. 

 

Blount began her career studying nursing and physical therapy. Many of her patients were veterans of World War II who had lost arms in the conflict, and Blount was able to teach them how to write using the same techniques she learned as a child. Wishing to do more to help veterans remain autonomous in their daily lives, Blount developed a design to allow double-amputees to feed themselves, receiving U.S. patent number 2,550,554 in 1951. The person using the device would first bite down on a tube, activating a motor that would dispense a portion of food through a spoon shaped mouthpiece, at which point the motor would shut off, allowing for time to chew, swallow, rest, and repeat. 

 

Although Blount’s invention was received with enthusiasm from the medical community and from abroad, she was not as successful in the commercial market of the United States. She eventually signed the rights to the patent over to the French government for use in their military hospitals. Explaining her decision to give up on seeking monetary reimbursement for her patent, Blount stated, “It’s what we as a race have contributed to humanity—that as a black female we can do more than nurse their babies and clean their toilets.” 

 

Blount later worked as a forensic handwriting analyst, having picked up these skills by noticing trends in the handwriting of her patients. Learn more about Blount and her innovations: http://bit.ly/2Nibgun #BlackHistoryMonth #InventingModernAmerica

Tomorrow and Friday: USPTO Black History Month celebrations

Tune in tomorrow to learn from groundbreaking innovators Aprille Ericsson, Ayanna Howard, and Arlyne Simon. The panelists will share firsthand accounts of their amazing career paths and game-changing inventions during the USPTO’s Black History Month celebration, “Three contemporary Black women inventors.” Don’t miss your chance to gain valuable insights—register today for this free special event.

On Friday, don’t miss “A focus on business—The collaboration between cartoonist and illustrator Liz Montague and Google art director Angelica McKinley” to learn firsthand how large scale creative projects are produced from concept to launch. Get a behind-the-scenes view of how Montague and McKinley created the first guest artist Google Doodle slide show featuring groundbreaking Black cartoonist and activist Jackie Ormes. Register today for this free special event.

For more information, please email InnovationOutreach@uspto.gov.

Inventing the Modern Home, Black History Month Series -- Marie Van Brittan Brown

Everyone wants to feel safe at home. As a nurse living in Queens, New York, Marie Van Brittan Brown often came home after dark to an empty house. This, plus her husband’s long hours away as an electronics technician, drove Brown to invent a security system to see who was knocking at her door. 

 

The system created a closed-circuit television system for surveillance known as CCTV, which included peepholes, a television monitor, and two-way microphones. Brown was subsequently cited on 32 patents, and elements of her system are widely used today. She also served as an inspiration to her daughter, Norma, who grew up to be a nurse and an inventor.

 #BlackHistoryMonth #InventingModernAmerica

 

Read more about Brown and her invention: https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/marie-van-brittan-brown

 

U.S. Patent no. 3,482,037

Title: Home Security System Utilizing Television Surveillance

Patented Dec. 2, 1969

Inventing the Modern Home, Black History Month Series -- Sara E. Goode

Efficient use of space in the home has been a concern for Americans for generations. The design for Sarah E. Goode’s 1885 patent for a folding cabinet bed was an early example of the flexible and modular furniture used in many homes today. A precursor to the Murphy bed, Goode’s design collapsed into a roll-top desk when not in use, a perfect design for the home office.

Goode and her husband, a carpenter named Archibald, owned a furniture store in Chicago. Many of their customers lived in small apartments and benefitted from Goode’s economical design. Despite being one of the first African American women to hold a patent in the United States, not much is known about Goode’s life. Aside from U.S. Census records, the primary official written record of Goode’s movements and career is her patent application. #BlackHistoryMonth #InventingModernAmerica

 

U.S. Patent no. 322177

Title: Cabinet-Bed

Patented July 14, 1885.

Black History Month Celebration: Three Contemporary Black Women Inventors

Don’t miss the USPTO’s free online Black History Month celebration spotlighting three contemporary Black women inventors: Aprille Ericsson, Ayanna Howard, and Arlyne Simon. Slots are limited, so register today for this special event. 

Hear the panelists’ firsthand accounts of their amazing career paths and game-changing inventions:

Dr. Aprille Ericsson was the first woman (and the first African American woman) to receive a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Howard University and the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in engineering as a civil servant at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. As New Business Lead for the NASA GSFC Instrument Systems and Technology Division, she seeks to foster government partnerships that enable industry and small businesses to collaborate with universities to solve strategic R&D challenges faced by United States government agencies. She holds one patent.

Dr. Ayanna Howard is the founder and Chief Technology Officer of Zyrobotics, a company that uses machine learning and robots to make educational toys for kids, with a particular emphasis on helping those with special needs. In addition, Howard is a professor at Georgia Tech, specializing in the intersection of machine learning and robotics. She holds three patents.

Dr. Arlyne Simon is a biomedical engineer at Intel’s Health and Life Science business unit and the author of the Abby Invents picture book series. Eager to inspire more girls to become inventors, Simon founded a multicultural children’s products company called Timouns. To date, Timouns has reached more than 3,500 future inventors. She holds two patents.

For more information, or to ask questions about the program, email InnovationOutreach@USPTO.gov.

Mark your calendar: USPTO Black History Month celebrations coming February 10 and 12

Don’t miss the USPTO’s free online Black History Month celebrations coming February 10 and February 12.

On February 10, tune in to “Three contemporary Black women inventors.” Drs. Aprille Ericsson, Ayanna Howard, and Arlyne Simon’s combined careers include success in areas as varied as mechanical engineering, robotics, writing successful books for young inventors, and more. Get valuable insights from firsthand accounts of their amazing careers. Slots are limited, so register today for this free special event.

On February 12, join in for “A focus on business—The collaboration between cartoonist and illustrator Liz Montague and Google art director Angelica McKinley.” Hear how large scale creative projects are produced from concept to launch. Get a behind-the-scenes view of how Montague and McKinley created the first guest artist Google Doodle slide show featuring groundbreaking Black cartoonist and activist Jackie Ormes. This promises to be an inspiring and informative panel discussion about fostering creativity and executing impactful work during a global pandemic. Register early for this free special event.

For more information, please email InnovationOutreach@uspto.gov.