Abstract

A three-dimensional model of corneal thermal response to CO₂ laser radiation is constructed and numerical solutions for temperature rise are computed. Power distribution in the laser beam and a conducting air–cornea interface are considered explicitly. It is found that the radial distribution of temperature increases produced by a gaussian beam is also gaussian, for brief exposures. The corneal damage threshold is examined in terms of this result.

© 1970 Optical Society of America

Corneal Damage Thresholds for CO₂ Laser Radiation

N. A. Peppers, A. Vassiliadis, K. G. Dedrick, H. Chang, R. R. Peabody, R. Rose, and H. C. Zweng
Appl. Opt. 8(2) 377-381 (1969)

The Lensing Effect of CO₂ Laser Plasma

H. K. V. Lotsch and W. C. Davis
Appl. Opt. 9(12) 2725-2728 (1970)

Infrared Interferometry with a CO₂ Laser Source and Liquid Crystal Detection

F. Keilmann
Appl. Opt. 9(6) 1319-1322 (1970)

Spectral Dependence of Retinal Damage Produced by Intense Light Sources*

M. A. Mainster, T. J. White, and R. G. Allen
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 60(6) 848-855 (1970)

Low Voltage CO₂ Laser Excitation

G. Sedgwick and H. Seguin
Appl. Opt. 9(12) 2737-2741 (1970)