A method and system for controlling the cutting speed of a cutting device employable in an ocular surgical procedure is provided. The apparatus includes a control module, a variable gas pressure regulator arrangement configured to receive gas from a gas pressure supply, wherein the variable pressure regulator arrangement is connected to the control module and the control module is configured to regulate gas received from the gas pressure supply, and an accumulator configured to store gas received from the variable gas regulator arrangement at a selected gas pressure. Gas at the desired pressure is delivered from the accumulator to the cutting device. The gas may be air, and the variable gas pressure arrangement may include a single variable pressure regulator or multiple pressure regulators which typically are not variable with respect to the pressure delivered.