Introduction

Optogenetic laser goggles are specially designed safety glasses that protect human eyes from the hazards caused by the laser. The brightness, beam collimation, and coherence properties of lasers can be detrimental to human eyes. Therefore, the ANSI Z136 1 Safe Use of Lasers standard in the US and the international standard IEC 60825 necessitate laser safety glasses while working in laser-equipped labs. 

The widespread use of lasers generally in medicine, industry, and laboratory research, can cause accidental injuries. Out of the four laser classes, the first two are harmless; however, class 3 and 4 lasers are pernicious to the human eye. The visible and near-infrared radiations are concentrated on the retina of the eye. Therefore, the retina is the tissue most vulnerable to injury caused by accidental laser exposure (Barkana and Belkin, 2000).  Powerful laser exposures (with mid-infrared or ultraviolet light) can also result in cataracts and corneal burns. Symptoms of a laser burn include post-exposure headaches, watery eyes, the appearance of floaters in vision, and the permanent loss of vision in extreme cases (Löfgren et al., 2013). Therefore, the use of Optogenetic Laser Goggles is a prerequisite while working with Optogenetics Laser to prevent the eyes from reversible and permanent laser-induced ocular injuries. 

Apparatus and Equipment

The durable, high-quality acrylic laser safety glasses are lightweight and comfortable to wear. They are specially designed to provide efficient protection against accidental laser exposure. Conduct Science’s optogenetic laser safety goggles are available in two variants. One is the R-LS-Y Laser Goggles that protect against green and yellow light. They shield the eyes from rays with a wavelength between 528nm and 561nm. The other variant is R-LS-G Optogenetic Laser Goggles which provide protection against blue and green light and have a wavelength coverage of 200nm to 500nm. Both R-LS-Y and R-LS-G have less than 1% transmittance.

Applications

Optogenetic laser goggles protect the experimenter from accidental laser-induced injuries while working in high-power laser-equipped laboratories. These safety goggles are specially designed to shield the human eye against radiation exposure such as corneal burns, retinal edema and hemorrhage, loss of central vision, cataracts, choroidal infarction, and focal retinal detachment.

Strengths and Limitations

Optogenetic laser safety goggles have numerous advantages, such as ease of wearing, simpler process, and high visible light transmittance. High-power laser beams are attenuated to a level where they can be rendered harmless to the human eye. However, there are a few disadvantages of the product as well. For instance, people with visual impairments need correcting glasses of certain dioptre power.  One can fix the glasses with certain dioptre strengths to make it a little easier. Moreover, some goggles might not protect the eyes from the radiation reaching from the sides. Therefore, while working with high-power lasers, the experimenter must use closed design goggles. 

Summary

• High power lasers (of classes 3 and 4) can be harmful to human eyes.
• Optogenetic Laser Safety goggles must be worn while working in laser-equipped laboratories.
• Accidental laser exposure can cause retinal injuries, corneal burns, and cataracts. 
• Laser safety goggles are easy to wear and have high visible light attenuation. They need to have a closed design to shield against radiations coming to the eyes from the sides.
• People having problems with vision need correcting glasses with particular dioptre strength.