An ophthalmic laser surgical system includes a pulsed laser source configured to generate a pulsed laser beam, optics configured to direct the laser beam towards a target region in a lens of an eye, and a processor configured to control the optics to form a regular array of cells in the target region by creating layers of photodisrupted bubbles to generate cell boundaries. The layers are created by causing the optics to scan the pulsed laser according to a curvature of a focal plane of the optics to track a natural curvature of the lens.

Methods are disclosed for operating a laser. Such methods may comprise operating the laser to emit electromagnetic energy in an infrared range in pulses with a pulse duration of greater than 1 ns. The wavelength of infrared electromagnetic energy may be in a range of about 2.6μ to about 3.3μ or about 1.8μ to about 2.1μ. The pulses may have a pulse energy selected to deliver an energy density of 2,500 J/cm.sup.3 or greater. The laser electromagnetic energy may be delivered for a medical application, such as cataract surgery to break apart a cataractous lens by photodisruption.

A surgical cassette for an ophthalmic surgical system includes an irrigation system, an aspiration system, and a computer. The irrigation system is in fluid communication with a handpiece and carries fluid toward a surgical site. The aspiration system is in fluid communication with the handpiece via an aspiration conduit and carries fluid away from the surgical site. The computer instructs the aspiration system to vibrate fluid back and forth within the aspiration conduit to perform a priming procedure.

A surgical cassette for an ophthalmic surgical system comprises an irrigation system and an aspiration system. The irrigation system is in fluid communication with a handpiece and carries fluid toward a surgical site. The aspiration system is in fluid communication with the handpiece via an aspiration conduit, and carries fluid away from the surgical site. The aspiration system comprises a chamber that expands to store fluid, and collapses to move the fluid to meet a volume demand in the aspiration conduit to mitigate a post-occlusion break surge.

In some examples, a laser-based ophthalmological surgical system (hereinafter “system”) includes a therapeutic radiation source configured to emit therapeutic radiation at a first intensity during a therapeutic portion and to emit probe radiation with a second intensity which is less than the first intensity during a probe portion. The system may also include one or more optical elements configured to direct the therapeutic portion and the probe portion into an eye of a patient and to collect reflected radiation from the eye of the patient. The reflected radiation may be indicative of dynamics of microbubbles in the cells of the eye of the patient.

An ophthalmic laser system for generating a first beam at a first wavelength on a first beam path and a second beam at a second wavelength on a second beam path, and directing optics to selectively direct the first beam or the second beam to a treatment beam path. The ophthalmic laser system incorporates a reflex coaxial illuminator comprising a reflex mirror movable on an axis from a position out of the treatment beam path to a position in the treatment beam path to direct illumination into an illumination path coaxial with the treatment beam path. The reflex mirror is adapted to transmit a beam that follows the second beam path.

An imaging probe comprises a camera or endoscope with an external detector array, in which the probe is sized and shaped for surgical placement in an eye to image the eye from an interior of the eye during treatment. The imaging probe and a treatment probe can be coupled together with a fastener or contained within a housing. The imaging probe and the treatment probe can be sized and shaped to enter the eye through an incision in the cornea and image one or more of the ciliary body band or the scleral spur. The treatment probe may comprise a treatment optical fiber or a surgical placement device to deliver an implant. A processor coupled to the detector can be configured with instructions to identify a location of one or more of the ciliary body band, the scleral spur, Schwalbe's line, or Schlemm's canal from the image.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for cutting-out including a device for treating a L.A.S.E.R. beam generated by a femtosecond laser (1), and positioned downstream from said femtosecond laser, the treatment device comprising: a shaping system (3) positioned on the trajectory of said beam, for modulating the phase of the wave front of the L.A.S.E.R. beam according to a modulation set value calculated for distributing the energy of the L.A.S.E.R. beam in at least two impact points forming a pattern in its focal plane, an optical focusing system (5) downstream from the shaping system, the optical focusing system comprising a concentrator module for focusing the phase-modulated L.A.S.E.R. beam in a focusing plane and a depth-positioning module for displacing the focusing plane into a plurality of cutting-out planes, a sweeping optical scanner (4) positioned between the concentrator module and the depth-positioning module for displacing the pattern in the cutting-out plane in a plurality of positions.

Systems and methods automatically locate optical surfaces of an eye and automatically generate surface models of the optical surfaces. A method includes OCT scanning of an eye. Returning portions of a sample beam are processed to locate a point on the optical surface and first locations on the optical surface within a first radial distance of the point. A first surface model of the optical surface is generated based on the location of the point and the first locations. Returning portions of the sample beam are processed so as to detect second locations on the optical surface beyond the first radial distance and within a second radial distance from the point. A second surface model of the optical surface is generated based on the location of the point on the optical surface and the first and second locations on the optical surface.

The invention relates to a device for measuring an optical penetration that is triggered in a tissue underneath the tissue surface by means of therapeutic laser radiation which a laser-surgical device concentrates in a treatment focus located in said tissue. The inventive device is provided with a detection beam path comprising a lens system which couples radiation emanating from the tissue underneath the tissue surface into the detection beam path. A detector device generating a detection signal which indicates the spatial dimension and/or position of the optical penetration in the tissue is arranged downstream of the detection beam path.