Eye-safe Lasers | previous | next | feedback |
Definition: lasers emitting in a wavelength region with relatively low hazards for the human eye
Lasers with emission wavelengths longer than ∼1.4 μm are often called "eye-safe", because light in that wavelength range is strongly absorbed in the eye's cornea and lens and therefore cannot reach the significantly more sensitive retina. This makes e.g. erbium lasers and erbium-doped fiber amplifiers used in 1.5-μm telecom systems or 2-μm thulium lasers far less dangerous than e.g. 1-μm lasers with similar output powers.
On the other hand, the absorption length of the cornea reaches very small values (well below 0.1 mm) at longer wavelengths, particularly around 3 μm and around 10 μm (near the wavelength of CO2 lasers). This means that optical pulses at such wavelengths are absorbed in a very thin layer, so that the damage threshold of the cornea is relatively low. Therefore, lasers emitting around 3 μm or 10 μm are less eye-safe than e.g. lasers emitting around 1.5 μm, even though they are "retina-safe". While the outer surface of the cornea (the epithelium) can at least heal after damage, this is not the case for the inner part (the endothelium). Also, corneal injuries can be rather painful.
Obviously, the quality "eye-safe" depends not only on the emission wavelength, but also on the power level and the optical intensity which can reach the eye. With sufficient power, such as is reached with a fiber amplifier or with a Q-switched laser, the eye can still be damaged. However, it can already be very helpful if at least weak parasitic reflections of some main beam are not dangerous for the eyes.
See also: laser safety
