Sensitivity of the rhesus monkey cornea and surrounding tissues to heat produced by co2 laser radiation

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:7116036

Randolph, D I; Stuck, B E

Rhesus monkeys were trained to report the presence of heat produced by a CO/sub 2/ laser system. Four, 8, and 16 mm diameter beams were directed at the cornea, lids, and face of the animals at irradiances ranging from 1 to 200 mw/sq cm, and the results compared to those of other investigators who utilized human subjects. Several conclusions can be made based upon this study. (1) The cornea does not appear to be sensitive to heat produced by a CO/sub 2/ laser system at irradiances twice the recommended safety level. (2) No changes were observed in the corneas, lids, or facial tissues of the animals after several thousand 20-second exposures at these irradiances. (3) The threshold for sensitivity to CO/sub 2/ laser radiation with the 8 mm diameter beam was between 25 and 50 mw/sq cm, while for the 16 mm beam condition it was between 4 and 20 mw/sq cm. (4) No differences in the rhesus monkey responses were observed between the 8 mm beam directed at the cornea and lids and the same beam directed to a non-hairy area of the face, while responses to the 4 mm diameter beam were different when skin exposures were compared to corneal exposures. (Author) (GRA)

• Research Organization: Letterman Army Inst. of Research, San Francisco, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7116036
• Report Number(s): AD-A-026149
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CORNEA
RADIATION INJURIES
EYES
LASER RADIATION
HEALTH HAZARDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CARBON DIOXIDE LASERS
MACACUS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GAS LASERS
HAZARDS
INJURIES
LASERS
MAMMALS
MONKEYS
ORGANS
PRIMATES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
SENSE ORGANS
VERTEBRATES
560400* - Other Environmental Pollutant Effects