Method and apparatus for performing a laser-assisted posterior capsulotomy and for performing laser eye surgery on an eye having a penetrated cornea are provided. A method for performing a posterior capsulotomy includes injecting fluid between the lens posterior capsule and the anterior hyaloids membrane to separate the lens posterior capsule and the anterior hyaloids membrane. With the lens posterior capsule separated from the anterior hyaloids membrane, a posterior capsulotomy is performed on the lens posterior capsule by using a laser to incise the lens posterior capsule.

A system for ophthalmic surgery on an eye includes: a pulsed laser which produces a treatment beam; an OCT imaging assembly capable of creating a continuous depth profile of the eye; an optical scanning system configured to position a focal zone of the treatment beam to a targeted location in three dimensions in one or more floaters in the posterior pole. The system also includes one or more controllers programmed to automatically scan tissues of the patient's eye with the imaging assembly; identify one or more boundaries of the one or more floaters based at least in part on the image data; iii. identify one or more treatment regions based upon the boundaries; and operate the optical scanning system with the pulsed laser to produce a treatment beam directed in a pattern based on the one or more treatment regions.

An ophthalmic instrument for the application of laser radiation in a patient's eye, particularly for the examination and/or surgical laser treatment of the cornea and the lens of the eye, includes a femtosecond laser, an objective and optical assemblies. The optical assemblies are arranged in front of the objective, and selectively vary the focus position in the coordinate direction X, Y and Z either within the region of the cornea or within the region of the lens of the eye. The objective or at least one lens group is movable relative to the eye. The variation of the position of the lens group objective shifts the focus position from the cornea to the lens of the eye and vice versa.

Method for producing ultraintense laser pulses in which Stimulated Raman Back-Scattering (SRBS) amplifies and compresses a seed pulse, as well as an inventive compact plasma device which may implement the method. SRBS may be achieved by counter-propagating the seed pulse and a pump pulse through a few millimeter-long plasma having a plasma frequency equal to the difference between the pump and the seed pulse frequencies. Dichroic mirrors may be arranged to provide two amplifying and compression passes through the plasma, allowing greater seed pulse amplification by mitigating Landau damping within the plasma that would occur in a single pass of a plasma of double the length. Alternate examples provide for 2n number of amplification and compression passes by providing n short plasma columns, where n2, and additional, appropriately arranged dichroic mirrors. The compact size of the device, and the ultraintense, ultrashort pulses it emits, suit the device to dermatological applications.

An optical surgical probe includes a cylindrical cannula; a light guide partially within the cannula to receive a light beam from a light source through a proximal end, to guide the light beam to a distal end of the light guide, and to emit the light beam through the distal end of the light guide; a multi-spot generator at a distal end of the cannula that includes an optical element with a proximal surface to receive the emitted light beam, and a focusing lens, positioned inside the optical element to focus the received light beam into a focused beam, wherein the optical element has a faceted distal surface to split the focused beam into multiple distally emitted beam-components when the optical surgical probe is operated in a fluid with an index of refraction of 1.30-1.40, and to confine the focused beam in the optical surgical probe when the optical surgical probe is operated in air.

An integral laser imaging and treatment apparatus, and associated systems and methods that allow a physician (e.g., a surgeon) to perform laser surgical procedures on an eye structure or a body surface with an integral laser imaging and treatment apparatus disposed at a first (i.e. local) location from a control system disposed at a second (i.e. remote) location, e.g., a physician's office. In some embodiments, communication between the integral laser imaging and treatment apparatus and control system is achieved via the Internet. Also, in some embodiments, the laser imaging and treatment apparatus includes a dynamic imaging system that verifies the identity of a patient, and is capable of being used for other important applications, such as tracking and analyzing trends in a disease process. Further, in some embodiments, the laser imaging and treatment apparatus determines the geographical location of the local laser generation unit of the system using GPS.

A method for producing a cut surface in a transparent material using optical radiation. A laser device separates the material using optical radiation and includes an optical unit focussing the radiation along an optical axis into an image field defining an image-field size. A focal position is adjusted transversely along the axis, producing a cut surface extending substantially parallel to the axis and, in projection along the axis, is a curve having a maximum extent. The focus is displaced by adjustment of the focal position along a trajectory curve lying in the cut surface. The cut surface has a maximum extent which is greater than the image-field size. The focal position is moved transverse to the axis along the curve. The image field is displaced transversely, and the focal position is adjusted in an oscillating fashion along the axis on the curve between an upper and lower axial focus position.

Apparatus to treat an eye comprises an annular retention structure to couple to an anterior surface of the eye. The retention structure is coupled to a suction line to couple the retention structure to the eye with suction. A coupling sensor is coupled to the retention structure or the suction line to determine coupling of the retention structure to the eye. A fluid collecting container can be coupled to the retention structure to receive and collect liquid or viscous material from the retention structure. A fluid stop comprising a porous structure can be coupled to an outlet of the fluid collecting container to inhibit passage of the liquid or viscous material when the container has received an amount of the liquid or viscous material. The coupling sensor can be coupled upstream of the porous structure to provide a rapid measurement of the coupling of the retention structure to the eye.

Apparatus to treat an eye comprises an annular retention structure to couple to an anterior surface of the eye. The retention structure is coupled to a suction line to couple the retention structure to the eye with suction. A coupling sensor is coupled to the retention structure or the suction line to determine coupling of the retention structure to the eye. A fluid collecting container can be coupled to the retention structure to receive and collect liquid or viscous material from the retention structure. A fluid stop comprising a porous structure can be coupled to an outlet of the fluid collecting container to inhibit passage of the liquid or viscous material when the container has received an amount of the liquid or viscous material. The coupling sensor can be coupled upstream of the porous structure to provide a rapid measurement of the coupling of the retention structure to the eye.

Apparatuses and methods for the treatment of glaucoma are provided. The instrument uses either cauterization, a laser to ablate, sonic or ultrasonic energy to emulsify, or mechanical cutting of a portion of the trabecular meshwork. The instrument may also be provided with irrigation, aspiration, and a footplate. The footplate is used to enter Schlemm's canal, serves as a guide, and also protects Schlemm's canal.