How Do I Choose Laser Safety Glasses?

Laser technology is always evolving, and with all new research, changes, and improvements are made to the current laser equipment and machinery used. To cope with these improvements and advancements, the corresponding laser safety equipment like glasses and eyewear is also updated. Therefore, when you are investing in laser safety eyewear, you must make sure the products you are looking at have been designed and manufactured according to the latest ANSI Z136.1 Laser Standards and Guidelines.

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The first thing you need to think about when choosing safety eye gear that’s suitable for lasers it the laser operating system your organization, company or department uses. Find out as much information, if you don’t already know it, about the laser as possible. That includes everything from the beam delivery system and diameter to the power output and wavelength. You will find that the details of the power and output are marked on the laser, and anything else you need to know will normally be published in the laser’s operator’s manual. This data is important as it will help you to choose the safety glasses that will block and protect you from the operating wavelength with the correct optical density.

Wavelength is used to measure the spatial period of a light wave. In other words, the distance that a wave repeats its shape over. Waves are measured either from the valley to valley or crest to crest and then displayed on what is known as a light spectrum or electromagnetic spectrum starting with the wave that’s the shortest through to the wave that’s the longest. It is measured in meters or nanometers and designated the Greek letter lambda.

Important to note is the fact that some waves are not visible and with regards to lasers, these waves can be especially dangerous for your eyes. Therefore, it is important to understand the output wavelength of the laser you use to understand the wavelengths the protective eyewear you are going to wear needs to block.

OD, also known simply as absorbance, is in some ways more difficult to understand. However, to put it in simple terms, it is the ratio used to measure the amount of light absorbed at specific wavelengths. It is a crucial aspect of safety eyewear as it denotes how effective or ineffective a pair would be absorbing the laser wavelengths you need protection against.

When referring to laser applications, the optical density of filters will be described as ranges, highlighting their optical density for specific ranges of wavelengths. The higher or bigger the optical density of a pair of glasses, the more light is blocked from that wavelength.

Within a medical environment, the recommended optical density of laser safety glasses is at least 5 or more. There is no harm in opting for a pair with a higher optical density than is suggested in the laser’s operator’s manual, as this simply means you will benefit from even more protection.

Depending on the wavelength and power level of the laser you are using, you may not have a choice over using glass or polycarbonate filter lenses, because for some applications only glass is suitable. Compared to polycarbonate, glass renders a much higher transmission of visual light. It is important to choose a glass filter that is suitable for the widest range of laser applications you are involved in. You can even by tailormade custom glass filters designed to meet your specific specifications.

There is also the option to use combination glass filters for those harder-to-solve laser applications and you may benefit from glass filters that have greater OD levels for the same wavelength. This is done by making the filters thicker.

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Polycarbonate filter lenses, although they are not suited to mid to high power density laser use, offer specific benefits. For one thing, compared to glass filters, they are incredibly affordable. They also offer a greater level of resistance to impact, all the while being far lighter in design. Modern polycarbonate filter lenses offer broadband filtering and a huge variety of wavelength absorption capabilities.

Many improvements have been made to polycarbonate filters over the years and they now offer greater visual light transmission than they have done in the past. When looking for a supplier, it’s wise to consider one that understands the various dyes related to the absorption of specific wavelengths. As well as ensuring, if required, that they can tailor and customize filter lenses to meet your specific preferences and requirements.

Lined Bifocal Prescription glasses, on the other hand, correct both reading and near-sightedness in the bottom half of the lens and long-sightedness in the top half of the lens. A line is designed to mark these two specific areas. The reading half of the lens has a semicircle shape, while the top half is flat, which is why you will often see the specification describing the lens as FT and a number, FT for flat top and the number is the width in millimeters.

The last consideration you need to make when choosing laser safety glasses is the frames. You will find that, depending on which type of lens you are looking to have, the choice of frames will be limited. That’s not to say there are not many options.

While style is not something you should be thinking about when choosing protective eyewear when using lasers, you will still find a few options that hopefully meet your taste and preference.

It can be a bit overwhelming when you first look at the variety of laser safety eyewear available. Given how important having the right protection for your eyes is when working with lasers, it’s vital you are able to overcome it. With the use of our comprehensive and very practical guide, we hope, we have made it a lot easier to understand and that you will find it easy to navigate through the various options and choose the best laser glasses for the industry you work in and the kind of laser you use and how powerful it is.

Hopefully, this article helps you to choose laser safety glasses that are perfect for you. Contact us today if you’re still having trouble.

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