ECLIPSE BURNS IN HUMANS AND LABORATORY THRESHOLD MEASUREMENTS IN RABBITS

Abstract

The radiant energy incident on the retina of a human viewing the noon-day sun is calculated as 4.25 cal./cm. sq.-sec. with an image diameter of 0.16 mm., assuming an atmospheric transmission of 85% and a pupil diameter of 2. 5 mm. The retinal irradiance under the limiting conditions of 100% atmospheric transmission and 6 mm. pupil diameter is shown to be only 29 cal./cm. sq.-sec. This retinal irradiance is compared to experimentally determined retinal burn thresholds in rabbits. It is concluded that eclipse burns, which are known to occur, would not be predicted on the basis of extrapolated animal data, and that care must be exercised in using existing animal threshold data in predicting chorioretinal damage in humans.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1966
Accession Number
AD0635736

Entities

People

  • Everett O. Richey
  • Ralph G. Allen Jr.

Organizations

  • United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerospace Medicine
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Animals
  • Blindness
  • Burns
  • Chorioretinal Burns
  • Classification
  • Contractors
  • Contracts
  • Eye
  • Government Procurement
  • Governments
  • Health Services
  • Measurement
  • Solar Eclipses
  • Spatial Distribution

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Spectroscopy.
  • Vision Science/Vision Psychology/Cognitive Neuroscience.