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> not a single instance of permanent eye damage from laser pointers has been recorded anywhere The study referenced is from 2000, before the time when high-pow
by vdnkh 11y ago
> not a single instance of permanent eye damage from laser pointers has been recorded anywhere
The study referenced is from 2000, before the time when high-power lasers were available on the internet. There's a study here which states that green lasers can cause lasting retinal damage [0]. As much as I want a sweet laser I'd probably zap myself playing around with it.
[0] http://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.c2982.full http://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.c2982.full
- learc83 11y agoYeah, of course you can get eye damage from a 1W laser. That article was specifically talking about class IIIa lasers which are 5mW or less. Anything sold legally in the US as a "laser pointer" is going to be class IIIa.
- bri3d 11y agoPlease be VERY wary of "legal class IIIa" laser pointers purchased in the US. A few years ago, ICE and the FDA started cracking down on the importation of high-powered laser pointers. Instead of fixing the problem, it meant that every single imported laser is marked "Class IIIa" regardless of its actual output power, since the border agents rarely (if ever) test the actual output of the devices. I had a friend test a green laser pointer purchased online in 2010 with a "<5mW" warning label on it using a ThorLabs optical power meter. It measured 41mW. A basic diffraction grating test also revealed a massive amount of dangerous IR leakage.