Lasik flap cutting patterns including intrastromal pocket for bubble management

A method implemented in an ophthalmic surgical laser system for incising a cornea of a patient's eye to form a corneal flap, the method comprising:

• controlling a laser delivery system of the ophthalmic surgical laser system to deliver a pulsed laser beam to the cornea;
• controlling a high frequency scanner of the ophthalmic surgical laser system to scan the pulsed laser beam back and forth to form a laser scan line;
• and
• controlling a scan line rotator, an XY-scanner and a Z-scanner of the ophthalmic surgical laser system to move the laser scan line in the cornea to form the corneal flap, including forming a bed of the flap and forming a side cut of the flap,
• wherein the bed is located in a horizontal plane at a first depth from an anterior corneal surface, the bed defining a hinge line, wherein the side cut extends from the bed upwards to the anterior corneal surface to form a side of the flap, the side cut surrounding an entire periphery of the bed except for the hinge line, and
• wherein the step of forming the bed includes:
• forming a hinge cut along the hinge line by scanning the laser scan line along the hinge line;
• forming a first ring cut along a periphery of the bed except for an area of the hinge cut by scanning the laser scan line along a circumference of the bed;
• forming a bed cut by scanning the laser scan line in overlapping parallel raster scan passes, the bed cut overlapping at least a part of the hinge cut and the first ring cut and covering all areas of the bed not covered by the hinge cut and the first ring cut;
• and
• forming a second ring cut overlapping the first ring cut by scanning the laser scan line along the circumference of the bed.

A method implemented in an ophthalmic surgical laser system for incising a cornea of a patient's eye to form a corneal flap, the method comprising:

• controlling a laser delivery system of the ophthalmic surgical laser system to deliver a pulsed laser beam to the cornea;
• controlling a high frequency scanner of the ophthalmic surgical laser system to scan the pulsed laser beam back and forth to form a laser scan line;
• and
• controlling a scan line rotator, an XY-scanner and a Z-scanner of the ophthalmic surgical laser system to move the laser scan line in the cornea to form the corneal flap, including forming a bed of the flap and forming a side cut of the flap,
• wherein the bed is located in a horizontal plane parallel to an anterior corneal surface of the cornea, wherein the side cut extends from the bed upwards to the anterior corneal surface to form a side of the flap, and
• wherein the step of forming the side cut includes forming a plurality of side cut layers in a sequence, each side cut layer extending within a depth range relative to the anterior corneal surface, wherein all except one of the plurality of side cut layers are located entirely within the cornea without reaching the anterior corneal surface, and wherein the plurality of side cut layers are aligned with each other and connect with each other to form the side cut.