Apparatus is provided for high frequency ultrasound examination of the anterior segment of a patient's eyes. A liquid bath is established about a first eye of the patient to be examined. A fixed ultrasound transducer is placed in contact with the liquid bath and directs the beam of ultrasound energy to the first eye and receives echoes of the ultrasound energy. A fixation source is juxtaposed to the second eye of the patient and displays a fixation target. A controller operates the fixation source to move the fixation target relative to the second eye, while the patient moves the second eye so as to remain focused on the fixation target. The movement of the second eye causes the first eye to move concurrently and enables relative movement between the beam of ultrasound energy and anterior segments of the first eye, while maintaining near orthogonality between the ultrasound beam and the surface of the eye. By tracking the position of the second eye, the position of the first eye, and hence of each pulse/echo sequence, is ascertained, enabling image construction and biometric determinations of the anterior segment anatomy to be performed.
The present invention relates to the use of a high frequency ultrasound transducer with long focal length for making a device and for implementing a method of echographic exploration of tissue or organs of the human or animal body. More particularly, the invention relates to using an ultrasound transducer having a nominal excitation frequency greater than 20 MHz, preferably lying in the range 50 MHz to 80 MHz, with long focal length, greater than 10 mm, preferably about 25 mm, for making a device for echographic exploration of the eyeball, in particular of the posterior segment of the eyeball, and more particularly of the macular region.
An imaging system is disclosed which can provide images of received acoustic energy. In one embodiment, a transducer emits an acoustic beam which is reflected off of an acoustic beam splitter onto a target. The acoustic beam then reflects off of the target and is received by a piezoelectric imaging array which converts the acoustic beam into electrical signals. In another embodiment, a transducer transmits an acoustic beam through a target before being received by the piezoelectric imaging array on the opposite side of the target. In both embodiments, an acoustic lens system is disposed between the target and the imaging array to permit the system to focus upon, and magnify, features of interest within the target.
An apparatus and method for treating and/or diagnosing a patient's eye. A light source produces fixation light and procedure light. A scanning device deflects the fixation light to produce a fixation pattern of the fixation light on the eye, and deflects the procedure light to produce a procedure pattern of the procedure light on the eye. A controller controls the scanning device such that the fixation and procedure patterns move relative to each other, and/or the fixation pattern dynamically changes.
An apparatus and method for treating and/or diagnosing a patient's eye. A light source produces fixation light and procedure (treatment and/or diagnosis) light. A scanning device deflects the fixation light to produce a fixation pattern of the fixation light on the eye, and deflects the procedure light to produce a procedure pattern of the procedure light on the eye. A controller controls the scanning device such that the fixation and procedure patterns move relative to each other, and/or the fixation pattern dynamically changes.
A system for producing an ultrasound image comprises a scan head having a transducer capable of generating ultrasound energy at a frequency of at least 20 megahertz (MHz), and a processor for receiving ultrasound energy and for generating an ultrasound image at a frame rate of at least 15 frames per second (fps).
