Patent ID: 6030343
Filing Date: 2000-02-29
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A single-beam, tone burst, non-contact, ultrasonic tonometer for measuring the intraocular pressure of an eye, comprising:(a) ultrasonic means for generating a single ultrasonic beam and projecting it onto the eye and for detection and measurement of the beam reflected off the eye;(b) means for measuring the distance to the eye based on the reflection of said ultrasonic beam off the eye including a means for adjusting said distance;(c) means for aligning said tonometer with the eye based on the reflection of said ultrasonic beam off the eye; and(d) means for measuring and displaying the intraocular pressure by causing a deformation of the eye with the incident acoustic pressure from a tone burst of said ultrasonic beam and by assessing the deformation with the measured phase shift change in the ultrasonic beam reflected off the eye.