Laser eye protection

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.

Laser classification by power

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.

1. 1st class of lasers. Lasers of this type are the weakest and, in fact, pose no danger to the skin or eyes.
2. 2 class of lasers. These lasers are also characterized by low power, because according to classification, their radiation does not exceed 1 mW. This type of laser is classified as conditionally hazardous to vision. Their direct optical radiation does not pose a danger to vision, however, with a long beam to the organs of vision, reflex blinking occurs, which is considered as a natural physiological protection of the eyes.
3. 3 class of lasers. These laser devices are moderately hazardous. The scattered radiation from these lasers, as well as their glare, is not dangerous, but a direct beam can cause serious damage to the cornea.
4. 4 class of lasers. All medical lasers with the exception of low-power therapeutic lasers belong to this class. The laser beam of devices of the fourth class is a great danger to vision, because even scattered radiation from these lasers can cause damage to the lens or cornea.

Laser safety glasses

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.