Anton Banko

Anton Banko (August 26, 1927 – May 16, 1986) was a Slovenian inventor and engineer who is best known for designing the first phacoemulsifier.

Banko established Surgical Design Corporation in New York in 1968 which produced a variety of successful phacoemulsification machines that are used worldwide.

Banko also developed patents used in ocular surgery including an instrument for vitrectomy that he patented in 1969. After that, a combined Mackool/Heslin Ocusystem machine was designed