DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CREATING A CORNEAL REFERENCE FOR AN EYETRACKER

A device and method for increasing the accuracy of an ocular laser procedure by detecting and compensating for small eye movements includes the establishment of a corneal reference plane. To create the corneal reference plane, a laser beam is first used to photoablate stromal tissue at three different locations in the cornea. Bubbles that are created upon photoablation define the plane and can be imaged to determine the position of the plane as the eye moves. A pair of cameras and a processor are provided to image the cornea and triangulate the position of the reference plane. The updated position of the corneal reference plane is then used to guide the path of the laser beam during the course of the ocular procedure.