Laser radiation poses a great danger to the eyes of both patients and doctors. At present any modern laser is equipped with a pilot radiation designator and, at first glance, the risk of laser radiation in the eyes is minimal. However, do not forget that during the procedures there is at least a small but scattered radiation, and even small doses of it pose a threat to vision. In addition, the laser beam may accidentally bounce off some shiny object in the treatment room, which can lead to unwanted glare, which is dangerous for eyesight. Therefore, the need for eye protection during laser procedures for both the doctor and the patient is beyond doubt.
One of the most important parameters of laser radiation, which must be taken into account when protecting the laser, is the laser power. According to this parameter, lasers are classified into 4 groups.
Laser energy when it enters the eye can cause damage to the retina or cornea. In addition to the power of laser radiation, the pulse duration of the laser beam and its wavelength are also important. The shorter the pulse duration, the greater the peak power and the correspondingly more dangerous this radiation. Lasers that emit in the blue or ultraviolet range, in the first place, pose the greatest danger to the receptors of the retina and lens. In turn, infrared rays penetrate deeper and because they are invisible to vision, but do not cause reflex blinking and can seriously damage the retina.
To protect the eyes of both the doctor and the patient, protective glasses are used during the procedure, which are radiation filters at a specific wavelength. It is very important to use glasses that protect the eyes precisely from the wavelength at which the doctor works. For example, if a doctor performs laser hair removal using an alexandrite laser, then the doctor’s and patient’s glasses should not transmit laser radiation with a wavelength of 755 nm. The second important characteristic of laser glasses is the degree of absorption of the laser beam by the filter glasses. As a rule, information on the degree of protection and wavelength are indicated directly on the glasses filters. If your glasses say, for example, 650-800nm OD6 +, then this means that laser glasses attenuate radiation a million times (10 to the 6th power) in the range of 650-800nm. In addition, the requirements for doctor’s glasses are more stringent than for the patient’s glasses, because glasses of the attending physician should not only reliably protect the eyes from the laser beam, but also transmit radiation from the pilot laser so that the doctor can clearly see the treatment area on the patient’s skin during surgery. LasMedTech experts strongly recommend using the original glasses supplied with certified laser equipment.