Abstract: A method and system for patient optical fixation are disclosed. One embodiment of the system comprises: a light source operable to provide a fixation light beam; a filter optically coupled to the light source and operable to attenuate the fixation light beam to provide an apodized light beam, wherein the apodized light beam comprises a more attenuated portion and a less attenuated portion; and a viewer, operable to receive a reflected fine align beam and a reflected coarse align beam from a fixation target. The light source can be, for example, a laser, a light emitting diode or a laser diode. The filter can be a neutral density (“ND”) filter, comprising: an aperture through which a first portion of the fixation light beam can pass unattenuated by the ND filter to form the less attenuated portion of the apodized light beam; and a filter region for attenuating a second portion of the fixation light beam to form the more attenuated portion of the apodized light beam.

Abstract: A Q-switch laser apparatus includes a laser cavity formed with a pair of reflective surfaces having a laser medium mounted therebetween and a power supply operatively connected to the laser cavity to pump the laser medium. An electro-optic Q-switch is mounted in the laser cavity in a saturable absorber of less than 100% saturable transmittance is located in the laser cavity between the laser medium and the electro-optic Q-switch for suppressing prelasing in the laser. The saturable absorber may be a Cr4+:YAG used with an electro-optic Q-switch of LiNbO.sub.3. The method includes selecting the laser apparatus and selecting a saturable absorber of less than 100% saturable transmittance and attaching the selected saturable absorber in the laser cavity between the laser medium and the electro-optic Q-switch for suppressing prelasing therein.