Skin damage thresholds with continuous-wave laser exposures at near infrared wavelengths

Laser damage thresholds (ED₅₀) at 1319 nm for skin using Yucatan mini-pig (Sus scrofa domestica) have been detennined[1] and are compared to results from previous studies. The most recent data are compared to results reported previously for the operational wavelengths of 1070 nm [2], 1214 nm [3], 1940 nm[4] and 2000 nm [5]. For the 1319-nm data, which compare favorably to 1214-nm data, a relatively narrow range of total radiant exposure from 19.3 J/cm² to 30.5 J/cm² was observed for threshold damage with laser parameters encompassing a factor of two in beam area and a factor of forty in exposure duration. For similar exposure parameters, threshold values range from 5.8 J/cm² to 11.2 J/cm² at the more highly absorbed wavelength of 2000 nm at one extreme and 26.1 J/cm² to 202 J/cm² for the more weakly absorbed rapiation at 1070 nm at the other extreme.