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Efficacy of corneal eye shields in protecting patients' eyes from laser irradiation
S W Russell1, S M Dinehart, I Davis
1Department of Dermatology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72205, USA.
Background:
The continuing development of new types and applications of lasers has appeared to surpass the development of specific eye protection for these lasers. There are a variety of eye shields on the market, but few are specifically designed for laser protection.
Objective:
Our purpose was to test a variety of eye shields by two parameters, light transmission and temperature rise, and to determine from these measurements the most protective shield for patients.
Methods:
We tested four plastic shields, one metal shield, and two sets of tanning goggles for temperature rise and light transmission when irradiated with a beam from a flashlamp-pumped, pulsed-dye laser.
Results:
The temperature rise at the surface of the shield opposite the laser impacts was no more than 0.2 degree C in any case. White light was transmitted at significant levels through several of the shields, but yellow light transmittance was noted only through the green eye shield.
Conclusion:
Our measurements indicate that all except the green shield appeared safe from transmission of the 585-nm radiant energy. However, the optimal laser eye shield, in our opinion, would be a composite of several different shields' characteristics.
