Safe Use of Lasers in Veterinary Medicine
Authors:
Kenneth Bartels, Oklahoma State University; Stillwater OK USA
Thomas Fry, Cascade Veterinary Specialists; Issaquah WA USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

Technology in veterinary medicine, including the use of lasers, is expanding, as is the ability of animal owners to support these innovations. Since the use of lasers in the profession of veterinary medicine has grown sharply in the past 10 years, safety concerns for the patient, the veterinarian, and the technical staff are paramount. The American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care Facilities (ANSI Z 136.3-2005) is a document used by both state and federal compliance...

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An Organizational Laser Safety Program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona
Authors:
Lewis Wesselius, Mayo Clinic; Scottsdale AZ USA
Heidi Walton, Mayo Clinic; Scottsdale AZ USA
Sharli Frederiksen, Mayo Clinic; Scottsdale AZ USA
Tom Pasquariello, Mayo Clinic; Scottsdale AZ USA
Kaleeckal Harikumar, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine; Scottsdale AZ USA
Lisa Friedman, Mayo Clinic; Scottsdale AZ USA
Rick Fleeger, Mayo Clinic; Scottsdale AZ USA
Roshanak Didehban, Mayo Clinic; Scottsdale AZ USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

The dedicated Laser Safety Auditor for our organization retired last year. In an effort to meet the need to ...

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Another Airway Fire: When Will Such Accidents Cease?
Authors:
Richard Hughes, High-Rez Diagnostics, Inc.; Camino CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

The information available to the author indicates that the only fatalities resulting from the use of lasers have resulted from medical laser procedures and that endotracheal tube fires occurring during laser surgery have been the most prevalent cause of death and serious injury in the hospital setting. The endotracheal tube fire case presented in this paper is the second such case for which the author has served as an expert witness. The first case was presented at ILSC-2003 and in that paper the question "When will laser-induced airway fires cease?" w...

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Filter and Mirror Design for a Micromanipulator used with a Medical Dual Wavelength Laser
Authors:
Wolfgang Wöllmer, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf; Hamburg Germany
Reinhardt Thyzel, A.R.C. Laser GmbH; Nürnberg Germany
Presented at ILSC 2007

One of the special properties of lasers is the emission of monochromatic radiation. Filters and mirrors have to provide high coefficients of absorption and/or reflection. Especially for eye safety filters the transient laser radiation must not exceed the MPE. Various medical laser systems on the market today include different lasers and allow a combined application with more than one wavelength.These new developments lead to new...

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Summary of Changes to the Next Edition of ANSI Z136.1
Authors:
Nikolay Stoev, Valkom Laser Consulting; Toronto ON Canada
Presented at ILSC 2007

This presentation is a summary of the changes introduced into the next edition of the ANSI Z136-200X standard compared to the current 2000 edition. It resulted from the author's effort in reviewing the drafts within the SSC-1 subcommittee and the editorial group. Revised ANSI standards currently lack sections summarizing the introduced changes, which is somewhat difficult for users of the new editions. One would have to read the whole document to identify some changes. The summary covers all normative sections including appendices and some non-normative...

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Laser Safety Evaluation by the CB Scheme
Authors:
Nikolay Stoev, Valkom Laser Consulting; Toronto ON Canada
Woody Strzelecki, TUV Rheinland of N.A., Inc.; Newtown CT USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

Laser safety testing is performed under the umbrella of the IECEE (IEC System for Conformity testing and Certification of Electrical Equipment), a branch of IEC, also known as the CB Scheme. Its members include 137 National Certification Bodies (NCBs) from 39 countries. The significant growth of the organization is reflected in the release of over 40 thousand CB certificates and test reports in the year 2005. The Committee of Testing Laboratories (CTL) is the technical branch of the IECEE. Th...

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Changes in the New Edition to the IEC 60825-1 Laser Safety Standard
Authors:
Robert Weiner, Weiner Associates; Manhattan Beach CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

The IEC TC-76 committee on laser safety has recently published Edition 2 to the IEC 60825-1 laser safety standard. This paper will briefly describe the extensive amendments that are included in the new Edition: removal of LEDs from this standard; revision of the definition of human access for better consistency with real hazards; revision of measurement criteria to increase the distance used for classification of diverging beams; simplification of measurement criteria for small sources; and application of more stringent measurement criteri...

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Optical Radiation Safety Requirements for LEDs According to Their New Status in Between Laser and Lamp Safety Standards
Authors:
Ronald Neuhaus, Siemens AG; Munich Germany
Werner Horak, Siemens AG; Munich Germany
Presented at ILSC 2007

The international laser safety standard IEC 60825-1 is currently under revision. Since 1993, the scope of this standard was also extended LEDs. In terms of these optoelectronic devices, the new revision will provide the following innovations:
LEDs will be deleted from the scope of the laser safety standard and the optical radiation hazard should be assessed with the recently adopted safety standard IEC 62471 for lamps and lamp systems. However, thi...

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CDRH Activities Affecting the Marketing of Laser Products in the United States
Authors:
Jerome Dennis, CDRH/FDA; Gaithersburg MD USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

This tutorial paper provides a brief summary of the CDRH activities and philosophies that impact the marketing of laser products in the United States. The paper contains background and history followed by a listing of the more recently published guidance documents with brief descriptions of the policies that they contain. Although the guidance documents can freely be accessed from the Internet, this paper can serve as a useful navigational aid in locating the documents that are needed by the manufacturers.

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Recent Laser Accidents at Department of Energy Laboratories
Authors:
Connon Odom, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Los Alamos NM USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

Recent laser accidents at research laboratories across the Department of Energy complex are reviewed in this paper. Factors that contributed to the accidents are examined. Conclusions drawn from the accident reports are summarized and compared. Control measures that could have been implemented to prevent the accidents will be summarized and compared. Recommendations for improving laser safety programs are made.

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An Approach to High Energy Laser Safety in Open Environments
Authors:
Daniel Huantes, Northrop Grumman Corporation; San Antonio TX USA
Kenneth Keppler, Northrop Grumman Corporation; San Antonio TX USA
Robert Gallaway, Northrop Grumman Corporation; San Antonio TX USA
Albert Bailey, Northrop Grumman Corporation; San Antonio TX USA
Justin Zohner, United States Air Force; Brooks City-Base TX USA
Edward Early, Northrop Grumman Corporation; San Antonio TX USA
Paul Kennedy, United States Air Force; Brooks City-Base TX USA
Robert Thomas, United States Air Force; Brooks City-Base TX USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

High...

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Laser Processing Safety - Essence of Safety Requirements for Laser Processing, Worldwide and Recent Technology Challenges to Control Measures
Authors:
Thomas Lieb, L*A*I International; Elk Grove CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

Historically, CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers and workstations have predominated in our concepts of "high powered lasers". During the last few decades, safety control measures and guidelines have been developed, and the properties of the more prominent laser technologies were, naturally, used as the foundation. From laser bio-effects statements to complete vertical standards for laser processing machines, certain assumptions were made about modal properties and focus ability, and t...

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Unattended Laser Operation in R&D
Authors:
Ken Barat, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; Berkeley CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

The ANSI Z136.1.2000 standard section 4.1.1.3 Unattended Laser Operation is a section that is made up of 5 paragraphs, which address unattended laser operations of different laser hazard classifications. Of particular interest to this laser safety officer is unattended laser operation of class 3B and class 4 laser systems. The existing standard calls for the use of the standard ANSI Z535.1 Danger sign with appropriate instructions regarding the hazards of entry into the space when no operator is present. The goal of this presentation is to present this is a common scenari...

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The Manufacturer's Role in Laser Safety
Authors:
Candace Soles, Coherent, Inc.; San Jose CA USA
Ken Barat, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; Berkeley CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

The laser manufacturer, as the laser industry leader, has a dual role in promoting and assuring laser safety. The first role, and regulatory mandate, is to manufacturer a safe laser product -- one that is compliant with national and international product safety regulations; however, to promote laser safety the manufacturer may need to do more than produce a safe product. Presenting a positive laser safety message to their customers is their second role and equally as important as manufacturing a safe lase...

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Laser Protocols
Authors:
Ken Barat, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; Berkeley CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

The ANSI Z136.1 has several sections were the authority of the laser safety officer to alter or adapt the standard's control measures to their particular laser applications is outlined. Recognizing that ANSI Z136.1 is a horizontal standard and is a user guidance document; and as part of an on going philosophy of information to laser users the laser safety program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has developed a number of laser protocols, or codes of conduct. Each protocol outlines an evaluation of a section of the present ANSI Z136.2000 that are not completely compatible with a res...

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Off the Wall State Laser Regulation and Other Observations
Authors:
David Ermer, JHU/APL; Laurel MD USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

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A New Publication of the German Accident Insurance for the Safe Use of Lasers in Biomedical Applications
Authors:
Wolfgang Wöllmer, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf; Hamburg Germany
Martin Brose, Berufsgenossenschaft der Feinmechanik und Elektrotechnik; Köln Germany
Presented at ILSC 2007

Over the years many efforts and discussions have been spent on the development of the technical report IEC 60825-8, „Guidelines for the safe use of medical laser equipment “, the second edition being part of present committee work. This report is a collection of safety rules based on experiences with laser applications, in order to help to prevent unsafe conditions, which could ...

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Nanoparticles - Potential Risk during Pulsed Laser Ablation
Authors:
Anne Hahn, Laser Zentrum Hannover; Hannover Germany
Andreas Ostendorf, Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.; Hannover Germany
Stephan Barcikowski, Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.; Hannover Germany
Presented at ILSC 2007

Nanoparticles are generated as by-products during laser ablation. The size distribution of particlulate emission depends strongly on the applied laser pulse duration. The number frequency of nanoparticles may increase up to 99% with shorter pulse length. In order to provide safety-related statements on nanoparticles generated during laser materials processing, the particle size distribution during ...

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Laser Hazards from Pulsed Lasers
Authors:
Wesley Marshall, US Army CHPPM; APG MD USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

Determining the correct maximum permissible exposure (MPE) when a laser is pulsed becomes complex when the laser output beam consists not of regularly spaced pulses of short duration (tens of nanoseconds) and a moderate pulse repetition frequency (PRF), but instead consists of pulse groups that contain several short pulses of a few nanoseconds, or even shorter duration, inside of a macro-pulse that could last for tens of microseconds or even milliseconds. The structures of pulse trains are becoming ever more complicated in that groups of macro-pulses are sometimes repeated at a periodic ...

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Contrasting the Broad-Band Exposure Limits with Laser MPEs
Authors:
David Sliney, US Army CHPPM; Aberdeen Proving Ground MD USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

Whenever a laser specialist or an engineer employs a spreadsheet and compare and plot laser MPEs with broad-band limits, they see apparent differences and disconnects that can be quite puzzling. This is a particular concern of those trying to assess the optical risks of viewing bright LEDs. The rationale behind the two sets of exposure limits necessarily differ. For a laser, only the hazards at a wavelength of interest are reflected in the MPE, and competing hazard mechanisms lead to, at most, two limits, or "dual limits." However, with broad...

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Optical Fiber Communication Systems: Optical Amplifiers and Potential Exposure to Radiant Energy
Authors:
Anne Venetta Richard, Alcatel-Lucent; Westford MA USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

The evolution of optical fiber communication systems (OFCS) has seen a dramatic increase in the optical power within systems. Contemporary systems utilizing high-power optical amplifiers (OA) can operate at power levels well above one watt. While during intended use an OFCS is completely enclosed and radiant energy is inaccessible, however, during system development, deployment, maintenance and service, there is a potential risk for exposure. Typically, OA operate in the infrared "B" region of the electromagneti...

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Eye Safety Considerations of a Laser-Based Rail Flaw Detection System
Authors:
Fabrizio Prior, Technogamma, SPA; 31050 Morgano (TV) Italy
Gregory Garcia, Transportation Technology Center, Inc.; Pueblo, CO USA
Richard Hughes, High-Rez Diagnostics, Inc.; Camino CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

The Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), USA and Tecnogamma SPA, Italy, have developed a prototype laser-based ultrasonic inspection system, identified as the U-Rail system, for non-contact rail inspection. Through the photo-acoustic effect, the absorption of nanosecond laser pulses by the rail results in the generation of both bulk and surface acoustic waves propagating wi...

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Empirical BRDF Modeling of a Window to Improve Accuracy of Laser Reflection Hazard Analyses
Authors:
George Megaloudis, Northrop Grumman Corporation; Andover MA USA
Kenneth Keppler, Northrop Grumman Corporation; San Antonio TX USA
Edward Early, Northrop Grumman Corporation; San Antonio TX USA
Paul Kennedy, AFRL/HEDO; Brooks City-Base TX USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

Laser reflections from window surfaces have traditionally been treated as specular (i.e., the energy or power of the beam is reduced but the divergence of the beam remains unchanged). An empirical Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) model was developed for a spare aircraft win...

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Israeli Military Laser Safety Standard
Authors:
Noam Sapiens, NSLS Consulting; Rehovot Israel
Gil Atar, IDF; Rehovot Israel
Leonid Weisman, IDF; Rehovot Israel
Michael Ben-Ezra, IDF; Rehovot Israel
Presented at ILSC 2007

The new legislation in Israel regarding laser safety adopts IEC60825-1 standard and sets further requirements for control and inspection. The ministry of defense and the Israeli defense forces are exempt from this new law.
We have established a military laser safety committee to set a standard that will better suit the military. We have divided orders into three categories: military laboratories - are still bound by the state law. Mainten...

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Laser Safety Measurements of a Multiple Laser System
Authors:
Mary Gorschboth, Naval Surface Warfare Center; Dahlgren VA USA
Presented at ILSC 2007

The Naval Sea Systems Command, as the Department of the Navy (DoN) Technical Lead Agent for laser safety, has established the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren Division as the Lead Navy Technical Laboratory (LNTL) for laser safety. Part of this responsibility includes the laser hazard evaluation of systems used on DoN installations or by DoN personnel. Furthermore, measures are recommended to eliminate exposure of personnel to hazardous optical radiation from these devices. The LNTL was requested to evaluate a tactical capabilities suite...

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