System and method for ophthalmic laser surgery employing eye tracking without eye docking

A surgical laser system configured to deliver an ultra-short pulsed laser beam to a patient's eye comprising:

• a lens configured to fit over an anterior surface of the patient's eye and cover a central portion of the cornea, the lens comprising a substantially flat anterior surface and a chamber configured to cooperate with the anterior surface of the patient's eye to maintain fluid in the chamber, the lens further comprising a scleral ring at a base of the lens to support the lens on the eye, wherein the scleral ring is formed of a compliant material, the scleral ring having a first side and a second side opposite to each other, the first side defining a continuous ring-shaped area, the scleral ring configured to have the continuous ring-shaped area of the first side fully contact the anterior surface of the eye, wherein the lens is free of other surfaces that contact the anterior surface of the eye;
• wherein the lens is configured to deliver an ultra-short pulsed laser beam to the eye of the patient and facilitate performance of ocular surgery by providing an index of refraction closer to that of ocular tissue than air.