Patent ID: 8758252

Claim:
A device comprising: an ultrasonic imaging apparatus for imaging one or more components of an eye of a patient, the ultrasonic imaging apparatus comprising: an apparatus body comprising a first liquid chamber; an eyepiece for positioning the eye of the patient, the eyepiece interconnected to the apparatus body and comprising a second liquid chamber; an ultrasonic transducer operable to emit ultrasonic pulses and receive reflected ultrasonic pulses with respect to the one or more components of the eye of the patient; a movable carriage supporting the ultrasonic transducer; a guide track along which the moveable carriage moves, wherein the guide track, movable carriage and ultrasonic transducer form a scan head; and a positioning mechanism for positioning the scan head in relation to the eye of the patient; wherein the scan head is operable in a liquid in the first liquid chamber, wherein the ultrasonic imaging apparatus is configured with a plurality of liquid passages in at least one of the guide track and movable carriage, wherein a liquid of the liquid passages is pressurized to flow through the liquid passages and form a liquid film along a selected interface between the guide track and moveable carriage, whereby a distance between the guide track and moveable carriage at the selected interface is greater in the presence of the pressurized liquid than in the absence of the pressurized liquid, wherein the ultrasonic transducer emits ultrasonic pulses and receives reflected ultrasonic pulses with respect to the one or more components of the eye of the patient to image the one or more components of the eye of the patient.