LASER SAFETY FEATURES OF EYE SHIELDS

Background and Objective: A number of lasers are available for cutaneo us periorbital surgery, yet not all eye shields are appropriate for al l applications. We tested a variety of commercially available eye shie lds to assess their safety features. Study Design/Materials and Method s: Six commercially available eye protectors were studied. A focused l aser was incident upon the shield, and the intensity and exposure dura tion required for visible damage to the shield were measured. We then measured the temperature on the underside of the eye shield during exp osure from the laser. Time-dependent temperature measurements were mad e with a type-T thermocouple fixed to the eye shield with silicon grea se. Results: Thermal response curves and rates of warming for each of the six eye shields were generated. Plastic shields showed significant thermal damage with most of the lasers tested. The metallic shields w armed more slowly and to a lesser degree. Conclusion: Overall, the met allic eye shields had the most acceptable safety profile. Many of the plastic shields exhibited significant thermal damage, and therefore we discourage their use in periorbital laser surgery. (C) 1996 Wiley-Lis s, Inc.