Methods and systems wherein laser induced refractive index changes by focused femtosecond laser pulses in optical polymeric materials or optical tissues is performed to address various types of vision correction.

In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic laser system includes a laser device and a computer, where the laser device includes a laser and a phase modulator. The laser device directs a laser beam towards a target in an eye, where an intraocular lens (IOL) is disposed within the eye. The IOL has a phase profile that yields an IOL phase shift of light entering the eye. The laser generates the laser beam. The phase modulator has a phase front that yields a first phase shift of the laser beam that changes to a second phase shift when the laser beam reaches the IOL. The second phase shift is an inverse to the IOL phase shift.

In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic laser system that performs a laser procedure on an eye includes a laser device, an ophthalmic microscope, a y-direction motor, a user interface device, and a controller. The laser device includes a laser delivery head that directs a laser beam towards a target within the eye. The laser beam defines a z-axis, which defines an xy-plane with a y-axis that defines a y-direction. The ophthalmic microscope receives light from within the eye to provide an image of the eye. The user interface device receives instructions from a user. The controller receives an instruction from the user interface device to move the laser delivery head and the ophthalmic microscope in the y-direction, and instructs the y-direction motor to move the laser delivery head and the ophthalmic microscope in the y-direction in response to the instruction.

In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic laser system includes a laser device, an ophthalmic microscope, a z-direction sensor, and a controller. The laser device directs a laser beam towards a target within an eye. The ophthalmic microscope receives light from a focal point within the eye to provide an image of an object at the focal point. The z-direction sensor determines the z-position corresponding to the focal point of the ophthalmic microscope. The controller determines a position Z.sub.0, the z-position where the focal point of the ophthalmic microscope is at the retina of the eye; determines a position Z, the z-position where the focal point of the ophthalmic microscope is at the target within the eye; calculates a target-to-retina distance ΔZ according to a difference between the position Z and the position Z.sub.0; and calculates a radiant exposure H.sub.e at the retina according to the target-to-retina distance ΔZ.

A method of performing laser surgery in a patient's eye includes generating a light beam, deflecting the light beam using a scanner to form an enclosed treatment pattern that is configured to form an enclosed capsulorhexis incision that includes a registration feature, and delivering the enclosed treatment pattern to target tissue in the patient's eye to form in an anterior lens capsule of the patient's eye the enclosed capsulorhexis incision that includes the registration feature. The registration feature is configured so that an edge of the target tissue formed by the enclosed capsulorhexis incision mates with an intraocular lens registration feature on an intraocular lens so as to rotationally register the intraocular lens relative to the registration feature.

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.

During a process of refractive index modification of an intraocular lens (IOL) using an ophthalmic laser system, optical position monitoring of the IOL is performed by a video camera system viewing the top surface of the IOL. Fiducials are incorporated into the IOL at manufacture, or created in-vivo with laser. The monitoring method employs a defined area of interest (AOI) to limit the number of pixels to be analyzed, to achieve adequately high acquisition speed. In one example, the AOI contains 5 camera scan line segments, each line segment having sufficient pixels to create a stable amplitude signature. Successive frames of the AOI are analyzed to detect movement of the fiducial and/or to determine whether the fiducial has been lost.

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 includes 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 and carries fluid away from the surgical site. The aspiration system includes an aspiration pump and tubing of an aspiration conduit. The aspiration pump generates a normal vacuum pressure within the aspiration conduit to carry fluid away from the surgical site during normal operation. The tubing has a larger cross-sectional area in response to normal vacuum pressure. The tubing collapses from the larger cross-sectional area to a smaller cross-sectional area in response to an occlusion; maintains the smaller cross-sectional area during a post-occlusion break surge to mitigate the post-occlusion break surge; and returns to the larger cross-sectional area after the post-occlusion break surge.