Selecting and testing laser eye protection

Abstract

Here are the characteristics of laser eye protection (LEP), the importance of LEP to the laser user, and the pertinent tests which should be performed to ensure that the user is sufficiently protected. At the very minimum, eyewear should be clearly marked with the laser wavelengths protected against and the attenuation afforded at each wavelength. For pulsed laser protection, it may be necessary to additionally test for LEP integrity in relation to the laser characteristics such as: pulse width, energy per pulse, pulse repetition frequency, average power, and spot size. Depending on the type of eyewear used for continuous wave (CW) lasers, the actual protection afforded may be different than that measured by a standard spectrophotometer. Specific user application environments may require additional tests for laser eyewear such as solar heat and humidity stability. Also discussed is the importance of user acceptance in the areas of optical quality, field-of-view, weight, comfort, corrective lens compatibility, and style. Since performance in a laser environment requires good, safe vision, laser eyewear manufacturers should meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards Z87.1-1989 and Z136.1-1986. Optical quality testing methodologies including optical distortion, refractive power, prismatic deviation, haze, and chromaticity coordinate measurements are discussed.Here are the characteristics of laser eye protection (LEP), the importance of LEP to the laser user, and the pertinent tests which should be performed to ensure that the user is sufficiently protected. At the very minimum, eyewear should be clearly marked with the laser wavelengths protected against and the attenuation afforded at each wavelength. For pulsed laser protection, it may be necessary to additionally test for LEP integrity in relation to the laser characteristics such as: pulse width, energy per pulse, pulse repetition frequency, average power, and spot size. Depending on the type of eyewear used for continuous wave (CW) lasers, the actual protection afforded may be different than that measured by a standard spectrophotometer. Specific user application environments may require additional tests for laser eyewear such as solar heat and humidity stability. Also discussed is the importance of user acceptance in the areas of optical quality, field-of-view, weight, comfort, corrective lens compatibil...