A device for creating an opening in the anterior lens capsule of the eye, the device comprising: a treatment laser beam; a two-dimensional scanner on which the treatment laser beam is incident, the scanner having a programmed scan profile for a predetermined treatment pattern in which the treatment laser beam is scanned to form a closed curve at the anterior lens capsule; a first lens positioned before the two-dimensional scanner along the optical path of the treatment laser beam; wherein the first lens focuses the treatment laser beam to a first waist between the two dimensional scanner and the second lens; and wherein the treatment laser beam has a wavelength selected so that transmission of the treatment laser beam through the anterior lens capsule is less than about 65%, and the treatment laser beam has a power selected to cause thermal denaturing of collagen in the anterior lens capsule resulting in thermal tissue separation along the closed curve of the treatment pattern without ablating anterior lens capsule tissue; characterised by: a second lens positioned after the two dimensional scanner along the optical path of the treatment laser beam; wherein the second lens focuses the treatment laser beam to a second waist at the anterior lens capsule and the treatment laser beam expands from its waist to be defocused on the retina of the eye; wherein the treatment pattern passes through a treatment pattern invariant between the second lens and the eye, and the treatment pattern diverges in the eye and is consequently expanded in size and area on the retina compared to its size and area at the anterior lens capsule. a treatment laser beam; a two-dimensional scanner on which the treatment laser beam is incident, the scanner having a programmed scan profile for a predetermined treatment pattern in which the treatment laser beam is scanned to form a closed curve at the anterior lens capsule; a first lens positioned before the two-dimensional scanner along the optical path of the treatment laser beam; wherein the first lens focuses the treatment laser beam to a first waist between the two dimensional scanner and the second lens; and wherein the treatment laser beam has a wavelength selected so that transmission of the treatment laser beam through the anterior lens capsule is less than about 65%, and the treatment laser beam has a power selected to cause thermal denaturing of collagen in the anterior lens capsule resulting in thermal tissue separation along the closed curve of the treatment pattern without ablating anterior lens capsule tissue; characterised by: a second lens positioned after the two dimensional scanner along the optical path of the treatment laser beam; wherein the second lens focuses the treatment laser beam to a second waist at the anterior lens capsule and the treatment laser beam expands from its waist to be defocused on the retina of the eye; wherein the treatment pattern passes through a treatment pattern invariant between the second lens and the eye, and the treatment pattern diverges in the eye and is consequently expanded in size and area on the retina compared to its size and area at the anterior lens capsule. a second lens positioned after the two dimensional scanner along the optical path of the treatment laser beam; wherein the second lens focuses the treatment laser beam to a second waist at the anterior lens capsule and the treatment laser beam expands from its waist to be defocused on the retina of the eye; wherein the treatment pattern passes through a treatment pattern invariant between the second lens and the eye, and the treatment pattern diverges in the eye and is consequently expanded in size and area on the retina compared to its size and area at the anterior lens capsule.