Multiple-spot laser refractive ophthalmic surgery

An apparatus for refractive ophthalmic surgery by laser radiation, said apparatus comprising:

• a source of radiation which emits a processing beam;
• a beam path for focusing and scanning, said beam path focusing the processing beam into a cornea of an eye and shifting a position of a focus therein;
• a beam splitting device that generates several foci in the cornea, wherein the beam splitting device divides the processing beam into a primary beam and at least one secondary beam and leaves a cross section of the beam unchanged during said division, so that the primary and secondary beams have the same cross section as the processing beam which is incident on the beam splitting device;
• wherein the beam-splitting device introduces an angle of separation between the primary and secondary beams, so that the primary and secondary beams expand in the beam path in directions which differ by the angle of separation;
• and
• further comprising a contact glass which induces a pre-defined geometric boundary surface at the cornea.