The problem
Cataract removal used mechanical grinding, which is imprecise and traumatic to surrounding eye tissue.
The innovation
A probe combining a laser fibre with irrigation and aspiration channels to vaporise and flush out the clouded lens.
How it worked
Laser energy ablates the lens material while the same instrument irrigates and removes debris in a single pass.
Why it mattered
Made cataract removal faster and less traumatic; Bath reported restoring sight to patients blind for decades.
The legacy
Laser-assisted cataract surgery is now routine worldwide.
You use this today
Cataract surgery is among the most common operations performed on earth.
Sources
US Patent 4,744,360
Primary record
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