Quantitative evaluation of the supercontinuum laser eye dazzling effect: in vivo experimental research

Abstract

Abstract To quantitatively evaluate the dazzling effect of each spectrum band of the supercontinuum laser, we conducted experimental research to explore the safety and dazzling of animal eyes. Under the condition of dark adaptation, the rabbit eyes were irradiated with different power densities and spectral bands by frontal incident mode for 0.25 s, which was repeated ten times. The fundus of the rabbit eyes was examined using an ophthalmoscope, and the upper limit of safe power density was explored. Rabbit eyes were irradiated with different doses of dazzling light for 0.1 s. Visual electrophysiological signals were collected dynamically, and the recovery time of the electroretinogram (ERG)-b wave amplitude of the rabbit eyes was recorded and analyzed after laser irradiation. When the power density was 8.0 mW cm−2 in visible spectrum (vs.), the recovery time of the ERG-b wave in the rabbit eye was 4.11 ± 0.67 s. When the power density was 12.0 mW cm−2 in the full spectrum (FS), the recovery time of the ERG-b wave in the rabbit eye was 4.16 ± 0.55 s. The recovery time of the ERG-b wave was 4.50 ± 0.94 s at a power density of 4.6 mW cm−2 in FS-1 and 3.81 ± 0.11 s at a power density of 5.0 mW cm−2 in the FS-2. When the power density was 628.00 mW cm−2 in infrared spectrum (IS), the recovery time of the ERG-b wave was only 0.84 ± 0.09 s. The reference values for the upper limit of the safe irradiation power density of the supercontinuum laser are set as follows: 25.2 mW cm−2 in vs., 118.4 mW cm−2 in IS and 105.0 mW cm−2 in FS. The vs., FS, FS-1 and FS-2 of the supercontinuum laser had a good dazzling effect on rabbit eyes, and the dazzling effect was enhanced with increasing radiation power density, but the IS had little dazzling effect.