Method and apparatus for automated placement of scanned laser capsulorhexis incisions

A system for cataract surgery on an eye of a patient, comprising:

• a. a laser source configured to produce a treatment beam comprising a plurality of laser pulses;
• b. an integrated optical system comprising an imaging assembly operatively coupled to a treatment laser delivery assembly such that the imaging assembly and the treatment laser delivery assembly share at least one common optical element, the integrated optical system being configured to acquire image information pertinent to one or more targeted tissue structures and direct the treatment beam in a 3-dimensional pattern to cause breakdown in at least one of the targeted tissue structures;
• and
• c. a controller operatively coupled to the laser source and integrated optical system, and configured to:
• 1) adjust the laser beam and treatment pattern based upon the image information,
• 2) process the image information to identify a first set of candidate edge locations for at least one anatomical structure of the eye, the first set of candidate edge locations being disposed in a first boundary surface portion of the at least one anatomical structure,
• 3) use a least-squares technique to fit a first mathematical surface model to the first set of the candidate edge locations,
• 4) process the image information based on proximity to the first mathematical surface model to identify a second set of candidate edge locations for the at least one anatomical structure, the second set of candidate locations being disposed in a second boundary surface portion of the at least one anatomical structure that is different from the first boundary surface portion, and
• 5) use a least-squares technique to fit a second mathematical surface model to the combined first and second sets of candidate edge locations.