Ophthalmological ultrasonography scanning apparatus
AssigneeUltralink Ophthalmics Inc.
InventorsMark Leighton Foster, Scott Howard Phillips, Paul Wesley Taylor, Dan Reinstein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for ultrasound scanning of the eye is provided comprising a virtual center translocation mechanism that facilitates precise arcuate motion of an ultrasonic transducer to maintain focal distance from the eye and to maintain normality of the ultrasound beam with surfaces of the eye. The invention also provides a radius adjust mechanism for changing the radius of ultrasound scanning to facilitate positioning of the transducer focal point on selected surfaces of the eye. Centration optics are also provided, for aligning the ultrasound transducer with the Purkinje (or other optical or geometric) axis of a patient's eye.
Claims17
An ultrasound transducer support comprising:
- a) a transducer mount adapted to accommodate an ultrasound transducer having a focal point;
- b) a virtual center mechanism attached to the transducer mount for moving the ultrasound transducer along an arcuate translation path offset from a virtual center of translocation by a radius of transducer translocation, so that the focal point of the ultrasound transducer traverses an arcuate focal path about the virtual center of translocation;
- and,
- c) a radius adjust mechanism for adjusting the position of the transducer mount to change the radius of transducer translocation.
An ultrasound transducer support comprising:
- a) a transducer mount adapted to accommodate an ultrasound transducer having a focal point;
- b) a virtual center mechanism attached to the transducer mount for moving the ultrasound transducer along an arcuate translation path offset from a virtual center of translocation by a radius of transducer translocation, so that the focal point of the ultrasound transducer traverses an arcuate focal path about the virtual center of translocation
- c) centration optics for centring the ultrasound transducer in alignment with the an optical or geometric axis of a patient's eye wherein the centration optics comprise a centration light source having a centration light beam alignable to intersect the arcuate translation path of the transducer.
A method of ophthamological ultrasonography comprising:
- a) centering an ultrasound transducer having a focal point in alignment with an optical or geometric axis of a patient's eye using centration optics;
- b) moving the ultrasound transducer along an arcuate translation path intersecting the optical or geometric axis of the patient's eye, wherein the arcuate translation path is offset from a virtual center of translocation by a radius of transducer translocation, so that the focal point of the ultrasound transducer traverses an arcuate focal path about the virtual center of translocation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.