In various embodiments, a surgical console may include a sensor strip with sensor strip sensors (e.g., field effect or capacitive sensors) offset vertically and configured to receive an input from a user corresponding to a vertical height of a patient's eyes relative to the surgical console. The surgical console may use the input from the sensor strip to determine a patient eye level (PEL) relative to a surgical console component and then use the PEL and the at least one component in controlling operation of at least one of a source of irrigation or a source of aspiration during an ophthalmic procedure. The surgical console may further include a plurality of visual indicators positioned relative to at least two of the plurality of sensor strip sensors and configured to be illuminated to correspond to a sensor detecting the touch input.
