Alternative Method of Evaluating 1540nm Exposure Laser Damage Using an Optical Tissue Phantom

摘要

An optical phantom was designed to physically and optically resemble human tissue, in an effort to provide an alternative for detecting visual damage resulting from inadvertent exposure to infrared lasers. The phantom was exposed to a 1540-nm, Erbium:Glass, Q-switched laser with a beam diameter of 5 mm for 30 ns at varying power levels. Various materials were tested for use in the phantom; including agar, ballistic media, and silicone rubber. The samples were analyzed for damage lesions immediately after exposure and the Minimum Visible Lesion - Estimated Dose 50% (MVLED50) thresholds were determined from the data. In addition, any visible damage was evaluated for similarity to human tissue damage to determine if the phantom tissue would be a suitable substitute for in vivo exposures.