Patent ID: 7717907

Claim:
A method for performing intrastromal ophthalmic laser surgery, wherein the cornea defines a visual axis and has a thickness “T”, and wherein the method comprises the steps of: generating a pulsed laser beam, wherein the duration of each pulse in the beam is less than approximately one picosecond; directing and focusing the beam onto a series of focal spots in the stroma for Laser Induced Optical Breakdown (LIOB) of stromal tissue at each focal spot to weaken stromal tissue by redistributing biomechanical forces in the stroma; and moving the focal spot in the stroma to create a plurality of unconnected cuts, wherein each cut is made on portions of a respective cylindrical surface to remove an insignificant amount of tissue to substantially maintain the integrity of the cornea, wherein the respective cylindrical surfaces are concentric and are centered on the visual axis of the cornea, and further wherein each cylindrical surface has an anterior end and a posterior end, with the posterior end of the cut being located in the stroma less than approximately 0.9 T from an anterior surface of the eye, and the anterior end of the cylindrical cut is located in the stroma more than at least eight microns in a posterior direction from Bowman's capsule in the cornea, with the weakened stromal tissue being responsive to an intraocular pressure for surgically reshaping the cornea.