System and method for performing LADAR assisted procedures on the lens of an eye

A system for reducing eye-to-eye and surgeon-to-surgeon variability in performing procedures to create cuts in a capsule of a lens of an eye, the system comprising:

• a laser for producing a laser beam;
• an optical path for directing the laser beam from the laser to a lens of an eye;
• the laser beam having a first power below LIOB and a second power above LIOB;
• a control system for at least directing the laser beam in a predetermined shaped shot pattern on a portion of an anterior capsule of the lens of the eye to create a precise predetermined non-geometric shaped capsulotomy;
• and
• a shape of the predetermined shaped shot pattern being based at least in part on a shape of an IOL.

A system for reducing eye-to-eye and surgeon-to-surgeon variability in performing procedures to create cuts in a capsule of a lens of an eye, the system comprising:

• a therapeutic laser for producing a therapeutic laser beam;
• an optical path for directing the therapeutic laser beam from the therapeutic laser to a lens of an eye;
• a control system for at least directing the laser beam in a predetermined jigsaw capsulotomy pattern comprising a plurality of laser shots positioned in x, y and z directions as they are directed toward the lens of the eye, wherein the predetermined jigsaw capsulotomy pattern is formed by directing the plurality of shots along a planar pattern contained in an x-y plane, and performing, for each x-y position of the planar pattern, a series of tightly spaced full wave sweeps in the z-direction;
• a first pattern positioned in a first area of an anterior capsule of the lens of the eye, the first pattern having a z direction sweep range less than about 15 μm;
• a second pattern positioned in a second area of the anterior capsule of the lens of the eye, the second area is anterior to the first area, the second pattern having a z direction sweep range of less than about 15 μm.

A system for reducing eye-to-eye and surgeon-to-surgeon variability in performing procedures to create cuts in a capsule of a lens of an eye, the system comprising:

• a laser for producing a laser beam;
• an optical path for directing the laser beam from the laser to a targeting plane positioned within a lens of an eye;
• a first return beam path that receives a first portion of light transmitted from the eye and directs the first portion of light to a near spatial filter assembly which generates a first signal;
• a second return beam path that receives a second portion of light transmitted from the eye and directs the second portion of light to a far spatial filter assembly which generates a second signal;
• and
• a computer that receives and processes the first signal and the second signal so that a large amount of backscatter light is eliminated.