Liquid lens ultrasonic beam controlling device

Claim 1

A LIQUID LENS ULTRASONIC BEAM CONTROLLING DEVICE COMPRISING A CASING ADAPTED TO BE IMMERSED IN A LIQUID MEDIUM PROVIDING AN ULTRASONIC ENERGY COUPLING PATH TO A TEST OBJECT, SAID CASING HAVING AN OPEN END, A FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM CLOSING SAID OPEN END, AN ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER SUPPORTED IN SAID CASING SO AS TO TRANSMIT ULTRASOMIC VIBRATIONS TOWARD SAID DIAPHRAGM, A LIQUID FILLING THE INTERIOR OF THE CASING AND HAVING AN ACOUSTICAL VELOCITY THAT DIFFERS SUBSTANTIALLY FROM THE ACOUSTIC VELOCITY OF THE LIQUID IN WHICH THE CASING IS IMMERSED, SAID CASING BEING POSITIONED SO THAT SAID DIAPHRAGM IS SPACED FROM THE TEST OBJECT, AND MEANS FOR VARYING THE PRESSURE ON SAID LIQUID WITHIN THE CASING THROUGH A CONTINUOUS RANGE INCLUDING A VALUE ABOVE AND A VALUE BELOW THE PRESSURE OF THE LIQUID IN WHICH THE CASING IS IMMERSED TO FORCE THE DIAPHRAGM OUTWARDLY OR DRAW IT INWARDLY TO PROVIDE A LENS CAPABLE OF CONTINUOUS VARIATION FROM CONVEX TO CONCAVE.