For an international ban on the production sales and use of laserpointers

For an international ban on the production, sales and use of laserpointers

Laserpointers, laserpens or pocketlasers are extremely dangerous for the eye. The blink reflex of the eye ( time = 0.25 s) will not protect you if you look into the beam of one of these toys. A thermal injury of the retina may occur when the beam comes in your eye. The rise in Temperature will take place within a time of 1 ms = 0.001 s on a spot of 10 m m = 0.01 mm on the retina.

Some laserpointers are more powerfull than labeled. Especially dangerous are class 3B laserpointers. There is a difference in standards between Europe (Din standard) and the United States of America (ANSII)

In practice all class IIIa (ANSII) laserpointers fall under class 3 B (DIN)

In case of an accident, you may suffer from:

flashblindness
(heavy) pain
after images
(permanent/temporary) loss of eyesight, reduced visual acuity

In the medical science there is still a lot unknown about the possible damage of the retina.

keep these toys out of the hands of youngsters or adults that do not know their responsibilities

Anyone who wants to use a pointing device for a slide show (the official use) can stick to the old method of an arrow from an ordinary bulb. We don't need these laserpointers at all

blinded by the light

for more information:

read :laserpointer_engl.pdf

and read: Laserpointer_endanger_retina.pdf

from: Institute of Laser Medicine, University of Düsseldorf, Germany

MORE LINKS???

Try a search machine on the internet and look for: "LASER POINTER eye damage"FAST Search: All the Web, All the Time

MYCASE

Casus 001 (Sydney, Australia):

It may seem unlikely to Mr. Sam, but my boyfriend was just temporarily
blinded by a "pocket" laser pointer. The first symptoms
were pain in the eye and a headache that evening. The next morning,
when the sun's light hit his eye, he became blind in that
eye, and spent the morning in the hospital emergency room. For the next
five days, he wore a patch over his eye and
experienced various levels of pain, worsening if any light hit his eye.
By the morning of the fifth day, he was able to see again, in
a darkened room. By the evening of the fifth day, he was able to see in
a dimly-lit room. It is now the sixth day, and this
morning he was able to go outside with dark sunglasses and a cap with
visor.

We have yet to see the end of this. Thank you for your attention.

You can contact me at awizz@mindspring.com, if you wish.

Andrea Wisner

From Valinda, USA, March 1999:
I was struck in the eyes with a laser point, I think a cheaper brand.
But since being injured I have had migrane headaches and with the
headaches there is shooting I pain in the eye and head. Eye doctors see
no structural damage but something happened to my head via my eyes on
the day I had the laser point incident. My headache expert has me on
blood pressure and anti-depressant pills for the pain because there are
not any migrane medicines. I have reported this injury to the FDA, but
I do not think they are taken the injuries from these pointers very
serious, yet.

Survey at Bristol, UK

Br J Ophthalmol 1999 Oct;83(10):1164-1167

Laser pointers revisited: a survey of 14 patients attending casualty at the
Bristol Eye Hospital.

Sethi CS, Grey RH, Hart CD

The Bristol Eye Hospital, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol BS1 2LX.

AIMS: The largest clinical series of laser pointer exposures to date is
described, to document any long term visual sequelae and
assess objectively the visual threat from transient ocular exposure.
METHODS: 14 cases were collected prospectively and
triaged by ophthalmic nurses before referral to an ophthalmologist for a
complete ophthalmic examination. Regardless of the
need for clinical follow up, all patients were contacted by telephone at a
mean interval of 10.5 months following exposure to
inquire about new or persisting symptoms. RESULTS: 11/14 cases presented
within 24 hours of exposure and 5/14 incidents
were reported to the police. Reduced acuity in the affected eye compared
with the contralateral were documented in 5/14
cases. The commonest physical sign was a punctate epitheliopathy, seen in
5/14 cases, and the commonest symptom was
ocular discomfort, reported by 11/14 patients. There were no consistent
retinal findings. Follow up by telephone survey
revealed that two patients were wearing new glasses, but had not been
refracted before the exposure; one had intermittent
ocular discomfort; the remaining 11 were asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: This
study is reassuring to the ophthalmology
community and the general public in failing to demonstrate consistent, long
term damaging effects of transient ocular exposure to
laser pointer beams. 1164.pdf

Casus 002 Bilthoven, Netherlands

In september 1998 in year one of a secondary school close to Utrecht a 13 year old girl was hit by the light of a laserpointer in her left eye. One of the pupils had brought the laserpointer, a souvenir from a holiday in Greece, to the school. W hen some of the children were trying to get hold of the laserpointer Anita was shone in her left eye by the light of the laserpointer. After examination in the University Hospital of Utrecht the visus of the left eye was reduced to 10%. Anita suffered from heavy pain during three weeks, before she recovered and regained her normal visus. {real name known to author, for information contact }

casus 003

Dear Maurits,

Some years ago I was shone by a laserpointer for the first time in the classroom.They seemed funny toys and we used them in the physics office, a source of coherent light. I never experienced any damage but stories about eye injuries became more frequent and they were banned. Now I feel that I was lucky, while at that time it seemed innocent.

Questioning the pupils reveals that they are very well aware of the fact that they are prohibited. I haven't seen them since then. You can compare these pointers to knives.

Emil Blomberg
teacher of physics
emilblom@dds.nl

Casus 004

In our school for secondary education there have been pupils who took
laserpointers with them and brought them to school. In 1997 in my H4 class
(year 4 of high school for 12-17 years) a pupil was using a laserpointer
when someone else through two open doors of the physics office in another
class-room was shone in the face. After a good discussion about the
potential hazards no more accidents have occurred.

Cases of shining on the blackboard in the past were reason for disciplinary
actions of individual teachers. The children that made abuse of
laserpointers were not aiming at causing injuries but were trying to disturb
the lesson, which can be compared to bringing remote video controls to
school in order to disturb a videopresentation. Many people, both pupils
and teachers are not aware of the dangers. "they are widely distributed"is a
common saying.

A first demand is to inform pupils at school about the dangers. Nobody will
say that he or she did not know. Now that cases of eye injuries are known
the use of laserpointers at school is regarded as bringing knives to school.
The teacher should take the pointer and give it to the direction of the
school, who calls the parents and the pupil to settle the case. So far this
has not happened.

Teun Koops

teacher of physics

teun.koops@quant.nl

=========================================================================
THE VIEW OF THE DUTCH JOURNAL OF MEDICINE (NTG 1998 142 (nr.36) pag. 1979 t/m 1982 (5 september 1998), D. v. Norren, J.E.E.Keunen, Vos )

Abstract The laserpointer: no demonstrable danger to eyes. If laser pointers are powerful enough (>5mW) they can cause ocular damage. Most laser pointers in use, however , have low power, viz. 1 mW. In the peer-reviewed scientific literature worldwide not a single case of eye damage due to laserpointers is described. A review among Dutch ophtalmologists up to june 1998 revealed no cases of permanent damage caused by laserpointers . In view of widespread use of laserpointers, the risk of retinal damage must be minimal, even with te types now banned. Laser pointers of 1 mW emitting light red or green light have sufficient visibility on projection screens. It is advisable to prohibit the sale of more powerful pointers to prevent excesses.

In this same article complaints about pain in the eye from victims of laserpointers is mentioned, although there is not a scientikfic theory that can explain it. Another casus is described: (5)

In april 1998 a 16 years old woman was brought to the First Aid of the University Medical Centre of Leiden by ambulance. An unknown person had shone her in both eyes with a laserpointer from a distance of approximately 10 meter. She told the doctors that she was completely blinded for minutes and that she suffered from shooting pain in and behind the eyes. Upon arrival in the hospital (15 minutes after the accident) she saw a black spot in front of both eyes.The visus of the right eye was 0.8 and left eye 1.0 . Upon investigation no visible damage was registered. A request a month later revealed no permanent abnormalities. She did not show up after a written invitation for a new visit to the hospital.

case 6

Laser pointer "switches off" teenager's vision

Friday 22 August, 1997

An optometrist appeals for medical advice in the September issue of Opto & Laser Europe on how best to help a teenager injured by an exposure of several seconds to an ordinary laser pointer.

Stereo tests on her eyes 18 months after the incident show that her eyesight is 20/20, which is normal. But mono tests on her right eye only show 20/100 vision––far lower than normal even though it is improving gradually.

Although the teenager's eye shows no physical damage, her optometrist thinks that several seconds exposure to the beam may have affected her brain's ability to accept or process visual information from the affected eye.

The optometrist, Dean Springer of Barron in Wisconsin, tells Opto & Laser Europe: “She has good vision in the right eye but the brain does not want to recognise it. It's as if the brain switched off the dazzled eye. Laser exposures are so recent. What do they do to the brain if they are not affecting the eye?”

The incident happened when two fellow students brought laser pointers into the girl's school. They were standard red laser pointers delivering less than 5mW with a Class IIIa safety classification––a classification which relies on people’s instinct to blink, avert their gaze or cover their eyes to protect themselves from a direct laser beam.

On this occasion, however, one student shone a pointer at the girl who reacted angrily and stared at her tormentor and the beam for many seconds. Springer says that the response of the student's eye to being dazzled is beyond his expertise. He is considering offering the patient counselling but would like to hear suggestions from medical specialists first.

Purpose designed laser pointers are not dangerous when used properly as visual aids, although there are many unconfirmed stories about their misuse. For example, ‘supporters’ have attempted to disrupt football matches in the UK by shining pointers at the players; US police have arrested people after interpreting the red beams as weapon sights; and there are also reports of weapons enthusiasts dazzled by laser pointers mounted on firearms––the laser is supposed to illuminate a target but is mounted in the wrong direction by mistake. Copyright © Institute of Physics and IOP Publishing Ltd. 1999Laser pointer \switches off\ teenager's vision

case 7

Trial set for laser pointer assault Trial set for laser pointer assault Related site: Laser Pointer Info

Wednesday, May12, 1999 -- (NORTHAMPTON) - Alan Scheinman was walking down Main Street last summer, carrying ice cream in front of Thornes Marketplace, when he said he felt some discomfort in his eyes.

"I wasn't sure what the source was,'' Scheinman said.

But then he saw a man who he said had been aiming a laser pointer at him. Scheinman confronted the man, telling him to stop because it was dangerous, Scheinman said. The experience prompted Scheinman to pursue criminal charges against G. L. C. ,18 years old, Northampton.

A May 20 trial date is scheduled in Northampton District Court for G.L.C., who has pleaded innocent to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a laser pointer, and assault.

Scheinman, 55, an attorney, said he believes it is the first time assault charges involving a laser pointer have been brought in Massachusetts.

John P. Frangie, of Pioneer Valley Ophthalmic Consultants in Amherst, is scheduled to testify for prosecutors in the case against G.L.C. According to court documents, Frangie will address the issue of whether a laser pointer is a dangerous weapon. He will bring a model of a human eye, the court papers say.

Laws to limit lasers

Laser pointers, which are the size of a pen, can throw a tightly focused beam of light hundreds of feet.

Communities around the country, including New York City, have placed bans on selling the pointers to minors or on minors possessing the devices.

In Virginia earlier this year, a teen-ager was convicted of assault and battery and sentenced to six months in jail for shining a pointer into the eyes of a sheriff's deputy.

In Massachusetts, statewide organizations representing police chiefs and police officers back the bill, but not necessarily for the same reasons as the eye specialists.

Police are concerned that the laser pointers, if aimed at an officer, could be confused with the laser beams used on some guns to pinpoint a target. An officer, sensing a threat, could possibly return fire.

Scheinman's concerns are based on the risk of injury. He said the pointers come with warnings labels. "I have one myself,'' he said. "The salesman also told me not to point them at someone."

Scheinman said he also is seeking to press charges against two other men who were with Canales on the day of the alleged incident, Aug. 5, 1998.

Scheinman said Canales handed the pointer to a second man, who shined the beam in his eye. A third man subsequently came up to Scheinman and threatened him with a knife, Scheinman said.

"All I wanted to do was walk down the street with my ice cream,'' Scheinman said.

Scheinman said a District Court clerk refused to issue complaints against the two other men, but he appealed the matter. A judge subsequently issued complaints against the two men, who have not yet been formally charged, Scheinman said.

The lasers typically have been used as pointers in corporations or in college lecture halls.

"These guys did not buy that laser pointer because they were going to give lectures,'' Scheinman said. "They either bought it as a toy or for the very purpose (of causing harm)."

case 8

Laser Pointers & Eye Sight -- Dr. Greene's HouseCalls -- pediatric wisdom for the information age

case 9, 10

Ophthalmologists Concerned about Laser Pointers: Growing Number of Eye Injury Cases Reported among Children

MYCASE

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