Optical switch and method for treatment of tissue

A photomedical system for treating target tissue of an eye, comprising:

• a treatment light source for generating an optical treatment beam;
• an aperture element having a liquid-crystal display (LCD) panel, wherein the LCD panel forms a light-transmitting portion of the aperture element and a light-blocking portion of the aperture element;
• an optical element positionable to direct the optical treatment beam to the aperture element;
• an optic;
• one or more input devices;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• cause movement of the optical element to translate at least the center of the optical treatment beam in a first direction across the light-transmitting and light-blocking portions of the aperture element and in a second direction opposite the first direction across the light-transmitting and light-blocking portions of the aperture element to generate a first plurality of pulses of light from the optical treatment beam, wherein the optic focuses the first plurality of pulses of light onto target tissue;
• after the first plurality of pulses of light are focused onto target tissue, receive one or more user inputs from the one or more input devices;
• cause the LCD panel to adjust a size of the light-transmitting portion and a size of the light-blocking portion, wherein the size of the light-transmitting portion and the size of the light-blocking portion are adjusted based on the one or more user inputs;
• and
• cause movement of the optical element to translate at least the center of the optical treatment beam in the first direction across the adjusted light-transmitting and light-blocking portions of the aperture element and in the second direction opposite the first direction across the adjusted light-transmitting and light-blocking portions of the aperture element to generate a second plurality of pulses of light from the optical treatment beam, wherein the optic focuses the second plurality of pulses of light onto target tissue.