Experience with laser safety in the USA-a review (original) (raw)
Related papers
Laser Hazards and Ocular Exposure Analysis and Protection
The International Conference on Electrical Engineering
In this paper, different lasers such as ruby, Argon, Nd:Y AG, He Ne, and CO 2 are used to expose the eyes of rabbits as a simulation of the human eyes accidental laser exposure. Quantitative irradiance causing threshold damage (lesion) in as a function of wavelength under different pulse durations is studied. The retinal damage studies have shown that the threshold retinal damage decreases as increasing the exposure time. Our results also showed that the retinal sensitivity to threshold damage decreases as increasing the wavelength under different pulse duration. The basis of the physical and analytical models used to predict and analyze the laser hazards and their effect on the eye are presented. The proposed physical and analytical models include the representation of the laser and the eye characteristics are used for predicting the radiometric aspects and calculating the overall laser intensity exposing the eye. Other parameters that impact the evaluation such as atmospheric attenuation, laser wavelength, and divergence angle are considered in the proposed model. The proposed algorithm is used to predict many parameters such as hazardous distance, total incident power on the eye and the reflectance of the proposed protection filter. The simulation results of the proposed algorithm are in good agreement with the measurement results.
Determine the hazard level and biological effects for visible laser pointers
TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY: TMREES21Gr
The use of a laser can be a very exciting and rewarding endeavor but it can also be the cause of a life-altering accident if not used correctly and safely. Due to the distinctive and impressive properties of the visible laser, it has been widely used in various areas of life. As a result, companies have produced many commercial lasers, especially those operating in the visible spectrum, to increase the demand for them by the organizers of festivals and artistic celebrations, which may have specifications contrary to safety requirements and are not classified within the four known classifications. In this paper, the two of the most important factors (MPE& NOHD) of visible laser pointers were calculated, whether these lasers were manufactured or will be manufactured in the future. It has been concluded that the effect of laser energy E is greater than the effect of the distance between an observer and a visible laser.
A preliminary investigation on the occupational exposure to laser radiation in Greece
Hellenic Journal οf Radiology, 2019
The term optical radiation refers to the ultraviolet (UV), the infrared (IR) and the visible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The relevant occupational exposure legislation, Directive 2006/25/EC, employs limits and Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) regulations for laser (coherent) and non-coherent artificial optical radiation (AOR). Lasers are widespread mainly in health care facilities, industry, cosmetology applications, research and entertainment installations. The harmonisation of the safety approach is challenging. Material and Methods: The Directive has been transposed to the Hellenic legislation, containing all its requirements. However, there is no sufficient progress towards the Directive's practical implementation, mainly concerning the conducting of the required integrated risk assessment by qualified experts (namely: Laser Safety Officers-LSOs) and the overall safety management of the la
Journal of Laser Applications, 2008
Laser exposure limits as promulgated by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection are compared to relevant experimental animal injury data for cornea and lens exposure in the nanosecond to microsecond pulse duration regime in both the ultraviolet ͑UV͒ and infrared spectral ranges. In the UV spectral range, thermal and photochemical damage mechanisms compete and thresholds must be carefully distinguished as a function of wavelength and pulse duration. The thermal UV damage data are compared with levels inferred from CO 2 radiation thresholds and it is shown that the reduction factors between experimental data for thermal injury and the corresponding exposure limits appear to be unnecessarily high. The lack of data for nanosecond exposures for wavelengths below 355 nm is identified. Available experimental data for infrared radiation ͑1.4-4 m͒ can be fitted well with an inverse-absorption curve for saline. The exposure limits roughly follow the absorption curve with a varying degree of safety scaling factor. A lack of experimental threshold data is identified for wavelengths around the 3 m absorption peak for water absorption. The inverse curve for the spectral absorption of water would suggest a rather low threshold for a biological effect at 3 m.
Laser hazards and safety in dental practice: A Review
Oral Health and Care, 2020
The intendment of this review is to give the readers, an insight about the practical guidelines to overcome the possible hazards which can be managed adequately with the proper knowledge of handling the laser device. The article describes about the interaction of laser with the biological tissues, hazards that may commence during the use of laser device, as well as the principle safety rules and regulations.
Health Physics
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection* AbstractVSince the publication of the ICNIRP Revision of the Guidelines on Limits of Exposure to Laser Radiation (ICNIRP 1996, 2000), further research supports amending the retinal thermal exposure limits in terms of spot size dependence, pulse duration dependence for short pulses and wavelength dependence between 1,200 nm and 1,400 nm. A detailed discussion of the rational for the changes is presented in the Appendix of these Guidelines (Rationale for updating the Guidelines).
Survey of Ophthalmology, 2000
Laser instruments are used in many spheres of human activity, including medicine, industry, laboratory research, entertainment, and, notably, the military. This widespread use of lasers has resulted in many accidental injuries. Injuries are almost always retinal, because of the concentration of visible and near-infrared radiation on the retina. The retina is therefore the body tissue most vulnerable to laser radiation. The nature and severity of this type of retinal injury is determined by multiple laser-related and eye-related factors, the most important being the duration and amount of energy delivered and the retinal location of the lesion. The clinical course of significant retinal laser injuries is characterized by sudden loss of vision, often followed by marked improvement over a few weeks, and occasionally severe late complications. Medical and surgical treatment is limited. Laser devices hazardous to the human eye are currently in widespread use by armed forces. Furthermore, lasers may be employed specifically for visual incapacitation on future battlefields. Adherence to safety practices effectively prevents accidental laser-induced ocular injuries. However, there is no practical way to prevent injuries that are maliciously inflicted, as expected from laser weapons. Surv Ophthalmol 44 :459-478, 2000. © 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.) Key words. laser-induced eye injury • laser weapons • military weapons • occupational laser injury • retinal laser injury Surv Ophthalmol 44
2014
Laser is the acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser light is a form of electromagnetic radiation, but most laser light does not fall in the ionizing section of the spectrum. Lasers are used for a variety of applications throughout the Reed College campus and may cause injury if improperly used. Therefore a basic knowledge of laser safety is necessary before one uses a laser. Everyone associated with laser operations needs to be aware of the hazards they may encounter. Lasers can cause serious eye injury if a person looks directly into the beam, and even diffuse reflections can blind, burn flesh, ignite flammable materials, and/or activate toxic chemicals. Lasers may also bring hazards associated with high voltage, high pressure, noise, radiation, and toxic gases.