Infrared skin damage thresholds from 1319-nm continuous-wave laser exposures

Jeffrey W. Oliver; Rebecca L. Vincelette; Gary D. Noojin; Clifton D. Clark III; Corey A. Harbert; Kurt J. Schuster; Aurora D. Shingledecker; Semih S. Kumru; Justin Maughan; Naomi Kitzis; Gavin D. Buffington; David J. Stolarski; Robert J. Thomas

doi:10.1117/1.JBO.18.12.125002

16 December 2013 Infrared skin damage thresholds from 1319-nm continuous-wave laser exposures

Jeffrey W. Oliver, Rebecca L. Vincelette, Gary D. Noojin, Clifton D. Clark III, Corey A. Harbert, Kurt J. Schuster, Aurora D. Shingledecker, Semih S. Kumru, Justin Maughan, Naomi Kitzis, Gavin D. Buffington, David J. Stolarski, Robert J. Thomas

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Journal of Biomedical Optics, Vol. 18, Issue 12, 125002 (December 2013). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.18.12.125002

Abstract

A series of experiments were conducted in vivo using Yucatan miniature pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) to determine thermal damage thresholds to the skin from 1319-nm continuous-wave Nd:YAG laser irradiation. Experiments employed exposure durations of 0.25, 1.0, 2.5, and 10 s and beam diameters of ∼0.6 and 1 cm. Thermal imagery data provided a time-dependent surface temperature response from the laser. A damage endpoint of fifty percent probability of a minimally visible effect was used to determine threshold for damage at 1 and 24 h postexposure. Predicted thermal response and damage thresholds are compared with a numerical model of optical-thermal interaction. Resultant trends with respect to exposure duration and beam diameter are compared with current standardized exposure limits for laser safety. Mathematical modeling agreed well with experimental data, predicting that though laser safety standards are sufficient for exposures <10 s , they may become less safe for very long exposures.

CC BY: © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.

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Jeffrey W. Oliver, Rebecca L. Vincelette, Gary D. Noojin, Clifton D. Clark III, Corey A. Harbert, Kurt J. Schuster, Aurora D. Shingledecker, Semih S. Kumru, Justin Maughan, Naomi Kitzis, Gavin D. Buffington, David J. Stolarski, and Robert J. Thomas "Infrared skin damage thresholds from 1319-nm continuous-wave laser exposures," Journal of Biomedical Optics 18(12), 125002 (16 December 2013). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.18.12.125002

Published: 16 December 2013

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