Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
tABle 23.2
major uses of lasers
Alignment
Laboratory.instruments
Annealing
Interferometry
Balancing
Metrology:
Biomedical:
.
Plasma.diagnostics
.
Cellular.research
.
Spectroscopy
.
Dental
.
Velocimetry
Diagnostics
Special.photography
Dermatology
Scanning.microscopy
Ophthalmology
Military:
Surgery
.
Distance.ranging
Communications
.
Rile.simulation
Construction:
.
Weaponry
.
Alignment
Nondestructive.training
.
Ranging
Scanning
.
Surveying
Sealing
Cutting
Scribing
Displays
Soldering
Drilling
Welding
Entertainment
Heat.treating
Holography
Information.handling:
.
Copying
.
Displays
.
Plate.making
.
Printing
.
Reading
.
Scanning
.
Typesetting
.
Videodisk.(playing.and.making)
.
Marking
The. wavelength. output. from. a. laser. depends. on. the. medium. being. excited..
The.uses.of.a.laser.are.quite.varied,.as.can.be.seen.by.the.major.use.categories.in.
Table 23.2.(see.Figure 23.9).
Some.of.the.potential.hazards.that.can.be.expected.include.those.associated.with.
compressed. gases,. cryogenic. materials,. toxic. and. carcinogenic. materials,. noise,.
explosion.hazard,.radiation,.electricity,.and.lammability.
The.types.of.biological.or.health.effects.that.might.occur.are.eye.injury,.thermal.
injury,.skin.hyperpigmentation,.and.erythema.or.carcinogenesis.(see.Table 23.3).
Lasers.and.laser.systems.are.assigned.one.of.four.broad.Classes.(I.to.IV),.depend-
ing.on.the.potential.for.causing.biological.damage..Class.I.cannot.emit.laser.radiation.
at.known.hazardous.levels.[typically.continuous.wave.(cw):.0.4.W.at.visible.wave-
lengths]..Users.of.Class.I.laser.products.are.generally.exempt.from.radiation.hazard.
