Effects of visible laser radiation on the functional state of the eye

Background: Despite the growing body of knowledge about ocular effects of light, data on the impact of visible laser radiation on the organ of vision is insufficient. This radiation can penetrate the eye, reach the retina, and cause damage. The issue of assessing eye effects of laser radiation has become very important due to the growing number of events accompanied by laser shows and registered complaints of their attendees.

Objective: To evaluate changes in the functional state of the eye following laser radiation exposure using light sensitivity and color vision tests.

Material and methods: Scattered radiation from a semiconductor laser in the red, green, and blue spectral regions with a wavelength of 0.63, 0.53, and 0.44 microns, respectively, with illumination power of 1×10–4 W/cm2 and 1×10–5 W/cm2 , was directed to the eyes of healthy volunteers aged 20 to 40 years divided into two groups of 96 people each. The functional state of the eyes was established using the anomaloscope and dark adaptometry tests in 2022–2023.

Results: The results of testing were significantly different from the initial values following the exposure to laser radiation with illumination power of 1×10–5 W/cm2 (group 1) and 1×10–4 W/cm2 (group 2) at all wavelengths, with the exception of subjects from group 1 (440 nm), who had significant deviations only in terms of green and blue colors. It is worth noting that blue light sensitivity decreases the most, regardless of the wavelength of the source, while the blue laser light itself has the least effect on the light sensitivity and color vision.

Conclusion: Given the changes observed, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of effect of various spectral ranges of laser radiation on the organ of vision and to develop effective protective measures against the potential harm.

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