Adjustable laser pulse control

1 . A surgical system comprising:

a laser configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in laser pulses;

an optical switching device configured to switch between a first condition in which it allows laser pulses emitted from the laser to be output from the surgical system and a second condition in which it prevents laser pulses emitted from the laser from being output from the surgical system; and

a laser pulse controller configured to communicate optical switching control signals to the optical switching device;

wherein the optical switching control signals communicated by the laser pulse controller control a length of a pulse picking cycle and a number of laser pulses in each pulse picking cycle to be output from the surgical system; and

wherein the number of laser pulses in each pulse picking cycle to be output from the surgical system is adjustable in a range that includes more than 50% of the laser pulses in each pulse picking cycle;

wherein the optical switching control signals communicated by the laser pulse controller comprise a first signal that controls the length of a pulse picking cycle and a second signal that controls the number of laser pulses in each pulse picking cycle to be output from the surgical system;

wherein the first signal is a sync signal that is a timing signal that marks a start of each pulse picking cycle;

wherein pulse picking cycle comprises a number of laser pulses to be output from the surgical system, indicated by the second signal, followed by a number of laser pulses left in the pulse picking cycle that are not output from the surgical system;

wherein the number of pulses to be output from the surgical system, as indicated by the second signal, in each pulse picking cycle is greater than 50% of a total number of pulses in the pulse picking cycle but less than a total number of pulses in the pulse picking cycle.

2 . The surgical system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optical switching device is further configured to control an amount of energy of the laser pulses emitted from the laser that is output from the surgical system.

3 . The surgical system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an adjustable input device configured to be actuated over an operating range.

4 . The surgical system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the operating range of the adjustable input device is configured to allow an operator to control dynamically an amount of energy of the laser pulses emitted from the laser that is output from the surgical system.

5 . The surgical system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the operating range of the adjustable input device is configured to allow an operator to control dynamically a percentage of laser pulses emitted from the laser that are output from the surgical system.

6 . The surgical system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the adjustable input device comprises a foot pedal configured to be actuated over the operating range.

7 . The surgical system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optical switching device further comprises a laser energy control system configured to regulate an amount of electromagnetic energy of each laser pulse that exits the surgical system.

8 . A method of controlling a surgical system comprising:

(i) providing input to the surgical system, wherein the surgical system comprises:

a laser configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in laser pulses;

an optical switching device configured to switch between a first condition in which it allows laser pulses emitted from the laser to be output from the surgical system and a second condition in which it prevents laser pulses emitted from the laser from being output from the surgical system; and

a laser pulse controller configured to communicate optical switching control signals to the optical switching device;

wherein the input to the surgical system comprises input that controls a length of a pulse picking cycle and a number of laser pulses in each pulse picking cycle to be output from the surgical system;

wherein the number of laser pulses in each pulse picking cycle to be output from the surgical system is adjustable in a range that includes more than 50% of the laser pulses in each pulse picking cycle;

(ii) emitting electromagnetic radiation from a laser in laser pulses; and

(iii) outputting laser pulses from the surgical system in accordance with the input that controls the length of a pulse picking cycle and the number of laser pulses in each pulse picking cycle to be output from the surgical system;

wherein the optical switching control signals communicated by the laser pulse controller comprise a first signal that controls the length of a pulse picking cycle and a second signal that controls the number of laser pulses in each pulse picking cycle to be output from the surgical system;

wherein the first signal is a sync signal that is a timing signal that marks a start of each pulse picking cycle;

wherein pulse picking cycle comprises a number of laser pulses to be output from the surgical system, indicated by the second signal, followed by a number of laser pulses left in the pulse picking cycle that are not output from the surgical system;

wherein the number of pulses to be output from the surgical system, as indicated by the second signal, in each pulse picking cycle is greater than 50% of a total number of pulses in the pulse picking cycle but less than a total number of pulses in the pulse picking cycle.

9 . The method of controlling a surgical system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the step of outputting laser pulses from the surgical system in accordance with the input comprises controlling a percentage of laser pulses emitted from the laser that are output from the surgical system.

10 . The method of controlling a surgical system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the step of outputting laser pulses from the surgical system in accordance with the input comprises controlling an amount of energy of the laser pulses emitted from the laser that is output from the surgical system.