Treatment pattern monitor

1. A computer system for determining the applicability of a treatment pattern for manipulation of a cornea of an eye using a laser, the computer system capable of:

(a) receiving input data corresponding to a desired refractive correction and developing a treatment pattern from the input data;

(b) developing an actual volumetric profile from the treatment pattern;

(c) receiving a theoretical volumetric profile wherein the theoretical volumetric profile is based on the input data and developed from a basic theoretical model; and

(d) comparing the actual volumetric profile with the theoretical volumetric profile to determine whether the actual volumetric profile is within specified tolerances on the basis of the theoretical volumetric profile.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the theoretical model uses a number of basic parameters, and wherein the computer system is further capable of determining a first theoretical volumetric profile when using the basic parameters of the theoretical model and determining a second theoretical volumetric profile using said theoretical model wherein at least one of the number of basic parameters is modified.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the computer system is further capable of comparing the actual volumetric profile with the first theoretical volumetric profile which serves as a minimum estimator and comparing the actual volumetric profile with the second theoretical volumetric profile which serves as a maximum estimator.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the computer system is further capable of modifying at least one of the basic parameters to determine a limit of a potential over or under correction of the actual volumetric profile.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the basic parameters are at least one of a maximum ablation depth, a central ablation depth, a treatment area, an ablation volume, an amount of correction in diopters of the volumetric pattern, a difference and/or ratio of a central ablation depth and an ablation depth in a defined area, or a difference and/or ratio of minimum or maximum ablation depth in defined areas.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is further capable of determining whether the actual volumetric profile corresponds to the desired refractive correction.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the basic theoretical model is a toric or nontoric thin lens formula.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the computer system is further capable of modifying an amount of correction in diopters and/or an optical zone of the thin lens formula to approximate the theoretical volumetric profile to the actual volumetric profile.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the amount of correction in diopters is one of ±1.0 D, ±0.5 D, ±0.33 D or ±0.25 D.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the modification of the optical zone is one of 1.00 mm, 0.75 mm, 0.50 mm or 0.25 mm.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the specified tolerance is a fixed tolerance, preferably at least one of a tolerated deviation in sphere, cylinder, axis, and optical zone.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the specified tolerance is a minimal tolerance, preferably by optimizing the tolerated deviation in sphere, cylinder, axis and optical zone to provide the minimal deviation from the actual volumetric profile.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein said computer system is a laser treatment system.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein said computer system includes a treatment calculator.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the treatment calculator determines a treatment pattern from diagnostic data.