Ultrasound system for corneal biometry

Abstract

An ultrasonic biometer images an eye structure and enables measurement of a cornea's thickness at various points about the cornea's surface curvature. The biometer employs a liquid bath in contact with the corneal surface and includes a curved track positioned above the liquid bath, the curved track having a path that closely approximates the surface curvature of the corneal surface. An ultrasonic transducer (having a central axis) is movably mounted by a connector structure along the track and is positioned in communication with the liquid bath. The connector structure operates to maintain the central axis of the ultrasonic transducer perpendicular to a tangent drawn to the curved track, at a plurality of locations along the track. When the connector structure is moved along the curved track, it enables an ultrasonic beam, generated by the transducer, to interrogate areas of the corneal surface, with the angle of incidence of the beam being substantially orthogonal to the surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.