1. A system for ophthalmic intervention on an eye of a patient having temporary geometric markers thereon indicative of the orientation of an astigmatic axis of the patient's eye, comprising: a. an imaging device having a field of view oriented toward the eye of the patient, the imaging device configured for generating 3-dimensional images of the field of view; b. a patient interface housing having proximal and distal ends and defining a passage therethrough, wherein the distal end is coupled to one or more seals around a periphery of the passage configured to be directly engaged with an exterior surface of the eye of the patient and having a size sufficient to render visible the temporary geometric markers on the eye in that the temporary geometric markers are within the field of view of the imaging device, and wherein the proximal end is configured to be coupled to the patient workstation such that at least a portion of the field of view of the imaging device passes through the passage; c. three or more registration fiducials formed on an inner annulus of the patient interface housing within the field of view of the imaging device such that they may be imaged by the imaging device in reference to the temporary geometric markers on the eye of the patient; d. control electronics operatively coupled with the image device and configured to process 3-dimensional image data generated via the image device for the three or more registration fiducials and the temporary geometric markers on the eye of the patient to determine a position, a pitch, a roll and a yaw of the patient interface device relative to the geometric markers.