An apparatus for microdisruption of cataracts in lens tissue by impulsive heat deposition comprising : a source of pulsed laser radiation a user input device a control circuit and an optical waveguide configured to transmit the pulsed laser radiation. The light intensity which exits the optical waveguide has a wavelength selected to match an absorption peak of at least one component of the lens tissue a pulse duration time shorter than a time required for thermal diffusion out of the laser irradiation volume and shorter than a time required for a thermally driven expansion of the laser irradiated volume and a pulse energy resulting in a peak intensity of each laser pulse below a threshold for ionization driven ablation to occur.
