The current ANSI Z136.1-1986 laser safety standard does not define the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limits for pulse widths less than one nanosecond. It has been hypothesized that one cannot extrapolate from longer pulse widths because the ultrashort pulses contain higher peak powers and may induce non linear effects. These effects may involve fundamentally different mechanisms of damage, but there is no adequate data base for such injury in biological tissue. This paper reviews the available data and proposes a research strategy for collecting adequate data for a recommended standard.

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