Patricia Bath and Ming-Jun Li are among those honored for world-changing inventions in the optical sciences
WASHINGTON-Each year, the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) inducts a new class of inventors who have improved society with their patented work. Among the 2022 class of Inductees are: Optica Senior Member Patricia Bath and Optica Fellow Ming-Jun Li, who are being honored for their inventions of laserphaco cataract surgery and bend-insensitive optical fiber, respectively. Bath is one of 11 inventors receiving this honor posthumously.
"Patricia Bath's improvements on laser cataract surgery and Ming-Jun Li's contribution to developing innovative optical fibers showcase the breadth of problems inventors working in the field of optics are capable of solving," said Optica CEO Elizabeth Rogan. "We celebrate Drs. Bath and Li for their achievements and their inductions into the National Inventors Hall of Fame."
NIHF inductees are selected from among nominees holding U.S. patents for inventions that are groundbreaking or significant and that have improved societal well-being. Inductees have been honored for inventions in many fields, which include now-everyday items such as windshield wipers and BAND-AIDs. Inventors of optics technologies like Nobel Laureate and Optica Fellow Arthur Ashkin, who created optical tweezers, are also among those honored by NIHF. Along with Bath and Li, this year's inductees also include the inventors of ibuprofen, synthetic lubricants and the modern parachute.
