In 1986, Harlem-born ophthalmologist Dr. Patricia Bath invented a solution to harmful cataracts (cloudy eye blemishes that can lead to blindness) with the Laserphaco Probe, a surgical tool that uses a laser and 1-millimeter insertion to dissolve the blemish, so the patient's eye lens can then be replaced. OK, my eyes are already watering.
Dr. Bath conceived of the idea in the early 1980s after working at Harlem Hospital and discovering that African Americans suffer from blindness at nearly double the rate of white people, and are eight times more likely to develop glaucoma. She attributed this to the lack of accessible ophthalmic services for black people, and began a community ophthalmology system that provided care to those who were normally unable to afford it. She also co-founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness, which declares that "eyesight is a basic human right."
Not only did Dr. Bath make history with her invention — she became the first African-American woman doctor to receive a patent for a medical purpose — but she also holds four patents related to the Laserphaco and continues to make improvements to it to this day.