Automated surgical robot

A surgical system for manipulating tissue at a surgical site, the system comprising:

• a first laser operative for providing a first laser signal, the first laser signal being operative for manipulating tissue at the surgical site;
• a beam scanner that is configured to controllably direct the first laser signal to points within a first region of the surgical site;
• a surface profiler that is configured to measure a range for points within the first region;
• and
• a processing circuit that is configured to:
• (1) plan a first path for the first laser signal within the first region, wherein the first path is based on a post-procedural goal and a first estimate of at least one tissue parameter selected from the group consisting of threshold radiant exposure, tissue density, ablation enthalpy, absorption coefficient, optical scattering coefficient, reduced scattering coefficient, refractive index, and scattering anisotropy coefficient, and wherein the first estimate is based on a model of the reaction of the tissue to the laser signal derived from a topological map of a first feature formed at the surgical site using the first laser signal;
• (2) control the first laser signal along the first path while simultaneously controlling at least one characteristic of the first laser signal, the at least one characteristic being selected from the group consisting of beam shape, focus, focal depth, spot size, and orientation;
• (3) generate a first intra-procedural model of the surgical site based on a measured range for each of a first plurality of points within the first region, wherein the range for each point of the first plurality thereof is measured after the first laser signal has traversed the first path;
• and
• (4) perform a first comparison of the post-procedural goal and the first intra-procedural model.