Patent ID: 7018376

Claim:
A method for applanating an anterior surface of a patient's eye and coupling the eye to a surgical laser, the method comprising: providing an interface, the interface including a central orifice and having top and bottom surfaces; removably coupling a suction ring to the bottom surface of the interface; positioning the interface over an operative area of an eye, such that the suction ring comes into proximate contact with the surface of the eye; applying a suction to the suction ring, to thereby stabilize the position of the interface relative to the operative area of the eye; providing a lens cone, the lens cone defining a first plane surface; coupling the lens cone to a delivery tip of the surgical laser such that the delivery tip is positionally referenced to the first plane surface; positioning an applanation lens in proximate contact with the operative area of the eye, the applanation lens being at a distal portion of the lens cone, opposite the first plane surface, such that the applanation lens is thereby stabilized relative to the delivery tip; coupling the applanation lens to the interface to thereby stabilize the position of the lens relative to the operative area of the eye.