OCT Luminary Figure Joseph Izatt Dies

Joseph A. Izatt, the Michael J. Fitzpatrick Professor of Engineering and chair of Duke University's Department of Biomedical Engineering, died April 7.

Joseph A. Izatt. Courtesy of Duke University.

Izatt played a foundational role in the development of optical coherence tomography (OCT). His collaboration with Duke ophthalmology professor Cynthia Toth to improve the accuracy of examination and surgery of the eye led to the development of handheld OCT systems for infants and the first intraoperative OCT-guided system for surgery.

Prior to joining Duke, Izatt held positions at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University, and co-founded medical device company and ophthalmic imaging solutions developer Bioptigen, which was acquired by Leica in 2015. Izatt authored more than 200 technical papers and holds more than 75 U.S. patents.

Izatt was a fellow of Optica, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors, and SPIE. He received the Stephen D. Fantone Distinguished Service Award from Optica in 2022 and the Edwin H. Land Medal in 2021.