Near-Infrared Ultrashort Pulse Laser Bioeffects Studies

Applications of ultrashort pulse laser systems have increased dramatically in the past several years. Retinal exposure to these laser pulses can produce visible lesions with pulse energies of less than 1 microjoule (microJ) per pulse. Our research has found a reduction in the energy required for retinal damage as pulse duration is decreased from the nanosecond (ns) to femtosecond (fs) regime. With this data, new laser safety standards are being proposed to reduce the dangers and uncertainties when working around these lasers.
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