EVALUATION OF THE MECHANISM OF SOME PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF LASERS ON TISSUE
Abstract
The purpose of these studies was to determine whether there is any significant hazard to man accidentally exposed to a laser beam striking elsewhere than the eyes. This work concerns acute injury, of surgical significance, without consideration of long-term effects. The maximum energy density tested was about 7000 joules/2 milliseconds in a .48 cm spot size, obtained with a neodymium-doped glass laser rod. A 'Q-spoil' laser delivering about 3 joules with about 10,000,000 watts maximum peak power were also used. Both 'thermal' and 'pressure' effects were tested, the former being more marked in the 'long-pulse' mode and the later in the short-pulse. As can be predicted from known physical principles, despite intense effects at the point of 'impact, ' all of these are so rapidly attenuated on passage through tissue that, except possibly in the eye, no surgically significant damage to intact large animals or man should be expected following accidental exposure to laser.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0487372
Entities
People
- James R. Dearman
- Janice A. Mendelson
- Norman D. Cook