Laser technology and applications sometimes march ahead of laser safety standards. Lasers have been used in the aesthetic industry for many years. The availability of low-cost 808 nm laser diodes has triggered a whole industry of home-use devices for various treatments, such as hair removal (or more correctly hair “management”) and skin rejuvenation. The lasers used are typically Class 3B, but the device is intended to be used in contact with the skin, or at least in very close proximity.
The accessible emission limits (AELs) for the laser classes are intended for eye and skin exposure. However, a number of the manufacturers of the home-use devices have interpreted the AELs as only applying to the eye. Therefore, there are several devices on the market that are considered (incorrectly) to be Class 1. Continue reading →
By Daniel X. Hammer, William Calhoun, Do-Hyun Kim, Robert James, Ilko K. Ilev and Victor Krauthamer
The Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (FDA/CDRH) regulates medical devices and radiological products in the US. We approve new devices that are deemed to be safe and effective and clear for sale devices which are substantially equivalent to older products. A large and growing number of medical devices include lasers and coherent optical sources that require special consideration in the approval process. Moreover, newly available sources and applications have characteristics that make determination of safety difficult. The Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories (OSEL) is the research arm of CDRH, providing basic and applied scientific expertise and consultative technical review to the FDA. OSEL has expertise in biology, physics, solid and fluid mechanics, chemistry and material science, imaging and applied mathematics, and electrical and software engineering. The Division of Physics (DP) has several active research programs that relate to device laser safety. This article summarizes a few of those projects. Continue reading →
As the costs of consumer lasers drop, and as beam powers increase, there is growing concern over misuse of pointers and of more powerful hand-held lasers. Pilots and others harassed by lasers are often worried about potential injuries to their eyes. Fortunately, it is more difficult than the general public might think, for a consumer laser to cause eye damage.
Take for example a police helicopter pilot hovering at an altitude of 500 feet. She is suddenly “lased” by a blue flash that lights up the windscreen. She directs ground forces to the location, where the perpetrator is arrested — but now she is worried. When she reads up on lasers, she finds that the most powerful consumer blue laser has a “Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance” of 733 feet. She may interpret this as meaning that being closer than 733 feet will cause instant blindness. Fortunately, this is not at all true, for two main reasons: Continue reading →
Laser U was developed by LIA to provide all laser professionals, whether application or safety based, practical education that can be applied to their area of work. All LIA courses are taught by experts in the field. Our laser application training courses were developed from education courses taught at LIA’s conferences and workshops. With access to the training online, you can enhance your laser knowledge whenever it’s convenient for you, from home or the office. Whether you are new to the world of lasers or an experienced laser professional, Laser U is for YOU!
Featuring LME 2013 Presentations
Ultra-High Brightness Direct Diodes
Silke Pflueger, DirectPhotonics
Pflueger, General Manager of DirectPhotonics and an LIA board member, addressed the impact of and applications for ultra-high brightness direct diodes in her keynote presentation at the Laser Institute of America’s third annual Lasers for Manufacturing Event® (LME®). “Laser cutting and welding have long become standard manufacturing technologies, helped by very reliable laser technologies that came into the market in the past 15 years,” she explained. “As the development of lasers has continued, a trickle has become a trend: Established players as well as a few start-ups are pushing into the laser material processing market with ultra-high brightness diode lasers, aggressively pursuing the space previously occupied by fiber, disk and even CO2 lasers. This is made possible by several new architectures that are accessing the inherent brightness of the diode laser material, leapfrogging current diode laser technology. Typically fiber delivered, they are starting to be used for cutting, welding and remote welding due to their high power levels and brightness.” Pflueger is confident these devices will rapidly become industry workhorses.
Pflueger’s address was one of four 30-minute keynotes at LME 2013.
Laser U was developed by LIA to provide all laser professionals, whether application or safety based, practical education that can be applied to their area of work. All LIA courses are taught by experts in the field. Our laser application training courses were developed from education courses taught at LIA’s conferences and workshops. With access to the training online, you can enhance your laser knowledge whenever it’s convenient for you, from home or the office. Whether you are new to the world of lasers or an experienced laser professional, Laser U is for YOU!
Featuring LME 2013 Presentations
Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing
Prabhjot Singh, GE Global Research
Dr. Singh, manager of the additive manufacturing lab for GE Global Research in Niskayuna, NY, presented key insights into state-of-the-art AM and 3D printing.
His background in additive manufacturing extends far beyond the world of commercial AM machines. During his graduate studies at Michigan, he developed a process-planning framework for the five-axis layered deposition complex 3D CAD models. In addition, he has developed a novel digital microprinting system for producing ceramics. This system is being employed to manufacture components in GE’s ultrasound probes. He leads the metal additive manufacturing activities at GE Global Research with a focus on the industrialization of laser powder-bed processes.
Singh’s address was one of four 30-minute keynotes at LME 2013.
