The Protective Characteristics of Polycarbonate Lenses Against CO2 Laser Radiation

David H. Sliney; Shawn D. Sparks; Rodney L. Wood

doi:10.2351/1.4745323

The Protective Characteristics of Polycarbonate Lenses Against CO2 Laser Radiation

David H. Sliney, Shawn D. Sparks, Rodney L. Wood

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

The vulnerability of plastic laser eye protection used with Class 4 CW lasers was studied using a high-power industrial laser to produce 4 by 4 cm burn zones. Since a CW (or repetitively pulsed) laser beam can burn through such eye protectors, this potential is of concern to Laser Safety Officers (LSOs) prescribing laser eye protectors and transparent barriers for use around both the 10 to 80-W CO2 lasers used in surgery as well as multi-kilowatt industrial CO2 lasers. Polycarbonate filters are shown to have superior resistance to burn through, and thresholds for protective lens burn-through in 3–10 s are provided. It is recommended that LSOs consider polycarbonate transparent impact safety lenses to have a protective optical density (OD) of 4.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	49-52
Number of pages	4
Journal	Journal of Laser Applications
Volume	5
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2351/1.4745323
State	Published - 1993
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

CO2 lasers
eye protection
laser barriers
Polycarbonate

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Instrumentation
Biomedical Engineering
Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

Access to Document

10.2351/1.4745323

Cite this

@article{9afacdfe115d4a6c972b44725d0bb8dc,

title = "The Protective Characteristics of Polycarbonate Lenses Against CO2 Laser Radiation",

abstract = "The vulnerability of plastic laser eye protection used with Class 4 CW lasers was studied using a high-power industrial laser to produce 4 by 4 cm burn zones. Since a CW (or repetitively pulsed) laser beam can burn through such eye protectors, this potential is of concern to Laser Safety Officers (LSOs) prescribing laser eye protectors and transparent barriers for use around both the 10 to 80-W CO2 lasers used in surgery as well as multi-kilowatt industrial CO2 lasers. Polycarbonate filters are shown to have superior resistance to burn through, and thresholds for protective lens burn-through in 3–10 s are provided. It is recommended that LSOs consider polycarbonate transparent impact safety lenses to have a protective optical density (OD) of 4.",

keywords = "CO2 lasers, eye protection, laser barriers, Polycarbonate",

author = "Sliney, {David H.} and Sparks, {Shawn D.} and Wood, {Rodney L.}",

year = "1993",

doi = "10.2351/1.4745323",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "5",

pages = "49--52",

journal = "Journal of Laser Applications",

issn = "1042-346X",

publisher = "Laser Institute of America",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Protective Characteristics of Polycarbonate Lenses Against CO2 Laser Radiation

AU - Sliney, David H.

AU - Sparks, Shawn D.

AU - Wood, Rodney L.

PY - 1993

Y1 - 1993

N2 - The vulnerability of plastic laser eye protection used with Class 4 CW lasers was studied using a high-power industrial laser to produce 4 by 4 cm burn zones. Since a CW (or repetitively pulsed) laser beam can burn through such eye protectors, this potential is of concern to Laser Safety Officers (LSOs) prescribing laser eye protectors and transparent barriers for use around both the 10 to 80-W CO2 lasers used in surgery as well as multi-kilowatt industrial CO2 lasers. Polycarbonate filters are shown to have superior resistance to burn through, and thresholds for protective lens burn-through in 3–10 s are provided. It is recommended that LSOs consider polycarbonate transparent impact safety lenses to have a protective optical density (OD) of 4.

AB - The vulnerability of plastic laser eye protection used with Class 4 CW lasers was studied using a high-power industrial laser to produce 4 by 4 cm burn zones. Since a CW (or repetitively pulsed) laser beam can burn through such eye protectors, this potential is of concern to Laser Safety Officers (LSOs) prescribing laser eye protectors and transparent barriers for use around both the 10 to 80-W CO2 lasers used in surgery as well as multi-kilowatt industrial CO2 lasers. Polycarbonate filters are shown to have superior resistance to burn through, and thresholds for protective lens burn-through in 3–10 s are provided. It is recommended that LSOs consider polycarbonate transparent impact safety lenses to have a protective optical density (OD) of 4.

KW - CO2 lasers

KW - eye protection

KW - laser barriers

KW - Polycarbonate

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84860024422&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84860024422&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.2351/1.4745323

DO - 10.2351/1.4745323

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84860024422

SN - 1042-346X

VL - 5

SP - 49

EP - 52

JO - Journal of Laser Applications

JF - Journal of Laser Applications

IS - 1

ER -

The Protective Characteristics of Polycarbonate Lenses Against CO2 Laser Radiation

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this