Sub-nanosecond laser cataract surgery system

1. A laser cataract surgery system, comprising:

a sub-nanosecond laser source generating a treatment beam that includes a plurality of laser beam pulses;

an optical delivery system coupled to the sub-nanosecond laser source to receive and direct the treatment beam; and

a processor coupled to the sub-nanosecond laser source and the optical delivery system, the processor comprising a tangible non-volatile computer readable medium comprising instructions to:

determine a lens cut pattern inside a lens of an eye for lens fragmentation, the lens cut pattern including a plurality of trajectory positions each having a depth defined from an anterior surface of the lens;

determine a plurality of pulse energies of the treatment beam to be delivered to the corresponding plurality of trajectory positions based on a linear function between the pulse energy of the treatment beam and the depth of the trajectory position; and

control the sub-nanosecond laser source and the optical delivery system to deliver a plurality of focal points of laser pulses inside the lens of the eye to generate bubbles inside the lens at the focal points, wherein each laser pulse focal point is delivered to one of the plurality of trajectory positions at a corresponding depth inside the lens as defined by the cut pattern and has a corresponding one of the pulse energies, wherein the bubbles generated by the plurality of laser pulse focal points form cuts inside the lens.

2. The laser cataract system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pulse energies of the treatment beam are between twice an energy threshold and ten times the energy threshold.

3. The laser cataract system of claim 2 , wherein the energy threshold is an energy level at which visible damage in tissue is first observed.

4. The laser cataract system of claim 3 , wherein the sub-nanosecond laser source generates the treatment beam with a pulse energy five times the energy threshold.

5. The laser cataract system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-nanosecond laser source is a picosecond laser.

6. The laser cataract system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-nanosecond laser generates a 150 picosecond treatment beam.

7. The laser cataract system of claim 1 , further comprising: an image capture system for capturing an image of the eye.

8. The laser cataract system of claim 1 , further comprising: a patient interface system to couple the eye with the optical delivery system so as to constrain the eye relative to the optical delivery system.

9. A method of fragmenting a lens of an eye, comprising:

generating a treatment beam that includes a plurality of laser beam pulses by a sub-nanosecond laser source;

determining a lens cut pattern inside the lens of the eye for lens fragmentation, the lens cut pattern including a plurality of trajectory positions each having a depth defined from an anterior surface of the lens;

determining a plurality of pulse energies of the treatment beam to be delivered to the corresponding plurality of trajectory positions based on a linear function between the pulse energy of the treatment beam and the depth of the trajectory position; and

controlling the sub-nanosecond laser source and an optical delivery system to deliver a plurality of focal points of laser pulses inside the lens of the eye to generate bubbles inside the lens at the focal points, wherein each laser pulse focal point is delivered to one of the plurality of trajectory positions at a corresponding depth inside the lens as defined by the cut pattern and has a corresponding one of the pulse energies, wherein the bubbles generated by the plurality of laser pulse focal points form cuts inside the lens.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of pulse energies of the treatment beam are between twice an energy threshold and ten times an energy threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pulse energy threshold is an energy level at which visible damage in tissue is first observed.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sub-nanosecond laser source generates the treatment beam with an energy five times the energy threshold of the tissue.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sub-nanosecond laser source is a picosecond laser.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sub-nanosecond laser generates a 150 picosecond treatment beam.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: capturing an image of the eye by an image capture system.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: coupling the eye with the optical delivery system so as to constrain the eye relative to the optical delivery system by a patient interface system.

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of laser pulses are delivered to the lens starting from a bottom of the lens.

18. A method of fragmenting a lens of an eye, comprising:

generating a treatment beam that includes a plurality of laser beam pulses by a sub-nanosecond laser source;

determining a lens cut pattern inside the lens of the eye for lens fragmentation, the lens cut pattern including a plurality of trajectory positions each having a depth defined from an anterior surface of the lens;

determining a plurality of pulse energies of the treatment beam to be delivered to the corresponding plurality of trajectory positions based on a relationship among a bubble volume of a bubble generated by a treatment beam, the pulse energy of the treatment bean, and the depth of the trajectory position, wherein the determined plurality of pulse energies maintain a constant bubble volume at all of the plurality of trajectory positions; and

controlling the sub-nanosecond laser source and an optical delivery system to deliver a plurality of focal points of laser pulses inside the lens of the eye, wherein each laser pulse focal point is delivered to one of the plurality of trajectory positions at a corresponding depth inside the lens as defined by the cut pattern and has a corresponding one of the pulse energies, wherein the plurality of laser pulse focal points form cuts inside the lens.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the pulse energy increases linearly with the depth of the trajectory position.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of laser pulses are delivered to the lens starting from a bottom of the lens.