Applicator formed and intended for cell treatment, in particular for epithelial cell removal or inactivation, preferably in the human or animal eye, by pressure pulses and a) comprising a hollow needle with a wall which encloses a cavity and is formed to be closed at a closed end, b) wherein a target is arranged or formed at the closed end on the inner side of the wall, c) wherein a laser radiation emitter (10, 11) for radiating preferably pulsed laser radiation is arranged in the cavity of the hollow needle spaced apart from the target and/or from the closed end, d) wherein the laser radiation emitter (10, 11) is arranged so that the emergent laser radiation directly strikes the target through an intermediate space located between the laser radiation emitter (10, 11) and the target, e) wherein at least one pressure pulse can be generated or is generated by exposing the target to laser radiation of the laser radiation emitter (10, 11) on the target with formation of a plasma, f) wherein the wall of the hollow needle has a lateral outlet opening for outlet of the pressure pulse out of the cavity of the hollow needle and is entirely closed between the lateral outlet opening and the target or the closed end, g) wherein the wall has, at the closed end of the hollow needle, a closure on which the target is arranged or formed, wherein the closure is formed to be convex and dome-shaped on the outside and/or the inner wall, h) wherein the wall of the hollow needle, following on from the closure, forms substantially a cylindrical liner wall around the longitudinal axis of the hollow needle as a cylinder axis, i) wherein the lateral outlet opening is formed in the liner wall and j) wherein the lateral outlet opening is spaced apart from the closure of the hollow needle and the target by an axial distance (a) to the longitudinal axis which is larger than an outer diameter of the liner wall of the hollow needle. a) comprising a hollow needle with a wall which encloses a cavity and is formed to be closed at a closed end, b) wherein a target is arranged or formed at the closed end on the inner side of the wall, c) wherein a laser radiation emitter (10, 11) for radiating preferably pulsed laser radiation is arranged in the cavity of the hollow needle spaced apart from the target and/or from the closed end, d) wherein the laser radiation emitter (10, 11) is arranged so that the emergent laser radiation directly strikes the target through an intermediate space located between the laser radiation emitter (10, 11) and the target, e) wherein at least one pressure pulse can be generated or is generated by exposing the target to laser radiation of the laser radiation emitter (10, 11) on the target with formation of a plasma, f) wherein the wall of the hollow needle has a lateral outlet opening for outlet of the pressure pulse out of the cavity of the hollow needle and is entirely closed between the lateral outlet opening and the target or the closed end, g) wherein the wall has, at the closed end of the hollow needle, a closure on which the target is arranged or formed, wherein the closure is formed to be convex and dome-shaped on the outside and/or the inner wall, h) wherein the wall of the hollow needle, following on from the closure, forms substantially a cylindrical liner wall around the longitudinal axis of the hollow needle as a cylinder axis, i) wherein the lateral outlet opening is formed in the liner wall and j) wherein the lateral outlet opening is spaced apart from the closure of the hollow needle and the target by an axial distance (a) to the longitudinal axis which is larger than an outer diameter of the liner wall of the hollow needle.