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Related Experiment Videos

Field trials with low power lasers concerning the blink reflex.

H D Reidenbach1, K Dollinger, J Hofmann

  • 1Research Department Medical Technology/HLT, University of Applied Sciences Cologne, Germany. hans.reidenbach@fh-koeln.de

Biomedizinische Technik. Biomedical Engineering
|December 6, 2002
PubMed
Summary

The blink reflex is unreliable for protecting eyes from Class 2 lasers, with less than 21% of people reacting. This highlights the need for safety instructions when using these visible light lasers.

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Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Laser Safety
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Class 2 lasers emit visible light with power limited to 1 mW (continuous wave mode).
  • Regulations often assume the blink reflex adequately protects eyes from incidental intrabeam exposure to Class 2 lasers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of the blink reflex as a protective mechanism against Class 2 laser irradiation.
  • To determine the prevalence of blink reflex activation under direct laser exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted three field trials involving 519 participants.
  • Exposed participants to visible light lasers at wavelengths of 670 nm, 635 nm, and 532 nm.
  • Monitored and recorded blink reflex responses during laser irradiation.

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Main Results:

  • The blink reflex was observed in only 15.9% (670 nm), 17.2% (635 nm), and 20.3% (532 nm) of participants.
  • No significant differences in blink reflex response were found based on age, gender, or vision correction (glasses wearers vs. right-sighted individuals).

Conclusions:

  • The blink reflex is an insufficient safety measure for incidental intrabeam viewing of Class 2 lasers.
  • Organizational measures, including mandatory instruction on laser safety, are necessary for applications using Class 2 lasers.